RAN 


The 
FREE    RANGERS 


BOOKS  BY  JOSEPH  A.  ALTSHELER 

THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR  SERIES 

The  Hunters   ot   the  Hills  The  Shadow  of  the  North 

The  Rulers   of   the   Lakes  The  Masters   of    the   Peaks 

The  Lords  of  the  Wild  The  Sun   of   Quebec 

THE  YOUNG  TRAILERS'  SERIES 
The  Young  Trailers  The  Free    Rangers 

The  Forest  Runners  The  Riflemen  of  the  Ohio 

The  Ke-pers  of  the  Trail         The  Scouts   of  the  Valley 
The  Eyes  of  the  Woods  The  Border  Watch 

THE  TEXAN   SERIES 

The  Texan  Star 
The  Texan   Scouts  The  Texan    Triumph 

THE  CIVIL  WAR  SERIES 

The  Guns    of    Bull    Run          The  Star  of   Gettysburg 
The  Guns    of    Shiloh  The  Rock  of  Chickamauga 

The  Scouts  of  Stonewall        The  Shades  of  the  Wilderness 
The  Sword  of  Antietam  The  Tree    of   Appomattox 

THE  GREAT  WEST   SERIES 
The  Lost   Hunters  The  Great  Sioux  Trail 

THE  WORLD  WAR  SERIES 

The  Guns  of  Europe 
The  Forest  of  Swords  The  Hosts  of  the  Air 

BOOKS'  NOT  IN  SERIES 

Apache  Gold  A   Soldier    of   Manhattan 

The  Quest    of    the    Four  The   Sun   of    Saratoga 

The  Last   of  the   Chiefs  A  Herald  of  the  West 

In  Circling   Camps  The   Wilderness    Road 

The  Last   Rebel  My   Captive 

The  Candidate 


D.  APPJuETON  AND  COMPANY 
New  York  London 


The 
FREE    RANGERS 


A      STORY      OF       EARLY     DAYS 
ALONG       THE        MISSISSIPPI 


BY 


JOSEPH  A.  ALTSHELER 

AUTHOR  OF  "  THE  YOUNG  TRAILERS,"  "  THE  FOREST  RUNNERS,"  ETC. 


D.  APPLETON-CENTURY   COMPANY 

INCORPORATED 

NEW  YORK  LONDON 

1934 


COPYRIGHT.  1909,  BY 
D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


All  rights .  reserved.  This:  bnqk,,  or  parts 
thereof,  musl  not .  ba  reproduced  in  any 
form  without  permission^}  the  publishers. 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


"THE  FREE  RANGERS,"  WHILE  AN  INDEPENDENT 
STORY  IN  ITSELF,  CONTINUES  THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE 
TWO  BOYS  AND  THEIR  COMRADES  WHO  WERE  THE 

CENTRAL     CHARACTERS     IN     "THE     YOUNG     TRAILERS," 

"THE    FOREST    RUNNERS,"    "THE    KEEPERS    OF    THE 
TRAIL"  AND  "THE  EYES   or  THE  WOODS." 


M49937 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  THE  CALL i 

II.  A  FOREST  ENVOY 17 

III.  AN  INVISIBLE  CHASE 39 

IV.  TAKING  A  "  GALLEON  " 54 

V.  ON  THE  GREAT  RIVER 74 

VI.  BATTLE  AND  STORM 96 

VII.  THE  LONG  VOYAGER 115 

VIII.  THE  CHATEAU  OF  BEAULIEU   ....  133 

IX.  PAUL  AND  THE  SPANIARD 153 

X.  A  BARBARIC  ORDEAL 171 

XI.  THE  SPANIARD'S  OFFER   .     .      .         .      .181 

XII.  THE  SHADOW  IN  THE  FOREST  .      .      .      .196 

XIII.  THE  WHITE  STALLION 214 

XIV.  NEW  ORLEANS 230 

XV.  BEFORE  BERNARDO  GALVEZ 251 

XVI.  IN  PRISON 271 

XVII.  THE  FLAW  IN  THE  ARMOR 285 

XVIII.  NORTHWARD  WITH  THE  FLEET  ....  302 

XIX.  THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BANK 322 

XX.  THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BAYOU 334 

XXL  THE  DEFENSE  OF  THE  FIVE 349 

XXII.  THE  CHOSEN  TASK 361 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

CHAPTER  I 

THE   CALL 

THE  wilderness  rolled  away  to  north  and  to 
south,  and  also  it  rolled  away  to  east  and 
to    west,    an    unbroken    sweep    of    dark, 
glossy  green.     Straight  up  stood  the  mighty  trunks, 
but  the  leaves  rippled  and  sang  low  when  a  gentle 
south  wind  breathed  upon  them.     It  was  the  forest 
as  God  made  it,   the  magnificent  valley  of  North 
America,  upon  whose  edges  the  white  man  had  just 
begun  to  nibble. 

A  young  man,  stepping  lightly,  came  into  -a  little 
glade.  He  was  white,  but  he  brought  with  him  no 
alien  air.  He  was  in  full  harmony  with  the  prime 
val  woods,  a  part  of  them,  one  in  whose  ears  the  soft 
song  of  the  leaves  was  a  familiar  and  loved  tune. 
He  was  lean,  but  tall,  and  he  walked  with  a  wonder 
ful  swinging  gait  that  betokened  a  frame  wrought 
to  the  strength  of  steel  by  exercise,  wind,  weather, 
and  life  always  in  the  open.  Though  his  face  was 
browned  by  sun  and  storm  his  hair  was  yellow  and 
his  eyes  blue.  He  was  dressed  wholly  in  deerskin 

i 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

and  he  carried  over  his  shoulder  the  long  slender 
rifle  of  the  border.  At  his  belt  swung  hatchet  and 
knife. 

There  was  a  touch  to  the  young  man  that  sepa 
rated  him  from  the  ordinary  woods  rover.  He 
held  himself  erect  with  a  certain  pride  of  manner. 
The  stock  of  his  rifle,  an  unusually  fine  piece,  was 
carved  in  an  ornate  and  beautiful  way.  The  deer 
skin  of  his  attire  had  been  tanned  with  uncommon 
care,  and  his  moccasins  were  sewn  thickly  with  little 
beads  of  yellow  and  blue  and  red  and  green.  Every 
piece  of  clothing  was  scrupulously  clean,  and  his 
arms  were  polished  and  bright. 

The  shiftless  one  —  who  so  little  deserved  his 
name  —  paused  a  moment  in  the  glade  and,  drop 
ping  the  stock  of  his  rifle  to  the  ground,  leaned  upon 
the  muzzle.  He  listened,  although  he  expected  to 
hear  nothing  save  the  song  of  the  leaves,  and  that 
alone  he  heard.  A  faint  smile  passed  over  the  face 
of  Shif'less  Sol.  He  was  satisfied.  All  was  happen 
ing  as  he  had  planned.  Then  he  swung  the  rifle 
back  to  his  shoulder,  and  walked  to  the  crest  of  a 
hill  near  by. 

The  summit  was  bare  and  the  shiftless  one  saw 
far.  It  was  a  splendid  rolling  country,  covered 
with  forests  of  oak  and  elm,  beech,  hickory  and 
maple.  Here  and  there  faint  threads  of  silver 
showed  where  rivers  or  brooks  flowed,  and  he  drew 
a  long  deep  breath.  The  measure  of  line  and  verse 
he  knew  not,  but  deep  in  his  being  Nature  had  kin 
dled  the  true  fire  of  poetry,  and  now  his  pleasure 

2 


THE  CALL 

was  so  keen  and  sharp  that  a  throb  of  emotion 
stirred  in  his  throat.  It  was  a  grand  country  and, 
if  reserved  for  any  one,  it  must  be  reserved  for  his 
race  and  his  people.  Shif'less  Sol  was  resolved 
upon  that  purpose  and  to  it  he  was  ready  to  devote 
body  and  life. 

Yet  the  wilderness  seemed  to  tell  only  of  peace. 
The  low  song  of  the  leaves  was  soothing  and  all 
innocence.  The  shiftless  one  was  far  beyond  the 
farthest  outpost  of  his  kind,  beyond  the  broad  yel 
low  current  of  the  Mississippi,  deep  in  the  heart  of 
the  primeval  forest.  He  might  travel  full  three 
hundred  miles  to  the  eastward  and  find  no  white 
cabin,  while  to  westward  his  own  kind  were  almost 
a  world  away.  On  all  sides  stretched  the  vast  maze 
of  forest  and  river,  through  which  roamed  only  wild 
animals  and  wilder  man. 

Shif'less  Sol,  from  his  post  on  the  hill,  examined 
the  whole  circle  of  the  forest  long  and  carefully. 
He  seemed  intent  upon  some  unusual  object.  It 
was  shown  in  the  concentration  of  his  look  and  the 
thoughtful  pucker  of  his  forehead.  It  was  not 
game,  because  in  a  glade  to  windward,  at  the  foot 
of  the  hill,  five  buffaloes  grazed  undisturbed  and 
now  and  then  uttered  short,  panting  grunts  to  show 
their  satisfaction.  Presently  a  splendid  stag,  walk 
ing  through  the  woods  as  if  he  were  sole  proprietor, 
scented  the  strange  human  odor,  and  threw  up  his 
head  in  alarm.  But  the  figure  on  the  hill,  the  like 
of  which  the  deer  had  never  seen  before,  did  not 
stir  or  take  notice,  and  His  Lordship  the  Stag  raised 

3 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

his  head  higher  to  see.  The  figure  still  did  not  stir, 
and,  his  alarm  dying,  the  stag  walked  disdainfully 
away  among  the  trees. 

Birds,  the  scarlet  tanager,  the  blue  bird,  the  cat 
bird,  the  jay  and  others  of  their  kin  settled  on  the 
trees  near  the  young  man  with  the  yellow  hair,  and 
gazed  at  him  with  curiosity  and  without  fear.  A 
rabbit  peeped  up  now  and  then,  but  beyond  the  new 
presence  the  wilderness  was  undisturbed,  and  it  be 
came  obvious  to  the  animal  tribe  that  the  stranger 
meant  no  harm.  Nor  did  the  shiftless  one  him 
self  discern  any  alien  note.  The  sky,  a  solid  curve 
of  blue,  bore  nowhere  a  trace  of  smoke.  It  was 
undarkened  and  unstained,  the  same  lonely  bright 
ness  that  had  dawned  every  morning  for  untold 
thousands  of  years. 

Shif'less  Sol  showed  no  disappointment.  Again 
all  seemed  to  be  happening  as  he  wished.  Pres 
ently  he  left  the  hill  and,  face  toward  the  south, 
began  to  walk  swiftly  and  silently  down  the  rows  of 
trees.  There  was  but  little  undergrowth,  nothing 
to  check  his  speed,  and  he  strode  on  and  on.  After 
a  while  he  came  to  a  brook  running  through  low 
soft  soil  and  then  he  did  a  strange  thing,  the  very 
act  that  a  white  man  travelling  through  the  danger 
ous  forest  would  have  avoided.  He  planted  one 
foot  in  the  yielding  soil  near  the  water's  edge,  and 
then  stepping  across,  planted  the  other  in  exactly 
the  same  way  on  the  far  side. 

When  another  yard  brought  him  to  hard  ground 
he  stopped  and  looked  back  with  satisfaction.  On 


THE  CALL 

either  side  of  the  brook  remained  the  firm  deep  im 
pression  of  a  human  foot,  of  a  white  foot,  the  toes 
being  turned  outward.  No  wilderness  rover  could 
mistake  it,  and  yet  it  was  hundreds  of  miles  to  the 
nearest  settlement  of  Shif'less  Sol's  kind. 

He  took  another  look  at  the  footsteps,  smiled 
again  and  resumed  his  journey.  The  character  of 
the  country  did  not  change.  Still  the  low  rolling 
hills,  still  the  splendid  forests  of  oak  and  elm,  beech, 
maple  and  hickory,  and  of  all  their  noble  kin,  still 
the  little  brooks  of  clear  water,  still  the  deer  and 
the  buffalo,  grazing  in  the  glades,  and  taking  but 
little  notice  of  the  strange  human  figure  as  it  passed. 
Presently,  the  shiftless  one  stopped  again  and  he  did 
another  thing,  yet  stranger  than  the  pressing-in  of 
the  foot-prints  beside  the  little  stream.  He  drew 
the  hatchet  from  his  belt  and  cut  a  chip  out  of  the 
bark  of  a  hickory.  A  hundred  yards  further  on  he 
did  the  same  thing,  and,  at  three  hundred  yards  or 
so,  he  cut  the  chip  for  the  third  time.  He  looked 
well  at  the  marks,  saw  that  they  were  clear,  distinct 
and  unmistakable,  and  then  the  peculiar  little  smile 
of  satisfaction  would  pass  again  over  his  face. 

But  these  stops  were  only  momentary.  Save 
for  them  he  never  ceased  his  rapid  course,  and  al 
ways  it  led  straight  toward  the  south.  When  the 
sun  was  squarely  overhead,  pouring  down  a  flood  of 
golden  beams,  he  paused  in  the  shade  of  a 
mighty  oak,  and  took  food  from  his  belt.  He 
might  have  eaten  there  in  silence  and  obscurity,  but 
once  more  the  shiftless  one  showed  a  singular  lack 

5 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

of  caution  and  woodcraft.  He  drew  together  dry 
sticks,  ignited  a  fire  with  flint  and  steel,  and  cooked 
deer  meat  over  it.  He  let  the  fire  burn  high,  and  a 
thin  column  of  dark  smoke  rose  far  up  into  the  blue. 
Any  savage,  roaming  the  wilderness,  might  see  it, 
but  the  shiftless  one  was  reckless.  He  let  the  fire 
burn  on,  after  his  food  was  cooked,  while  the  col 
umn  of  smoke  grew  thicker  and  mounted  higher, 
and  ate  the  savory  steaks,  lying  comfortably  be 
tween  two  upthrust  roots.  Now  and  then  he  ut 
tered  a  little  sigh  of  satisfaction,  because  he  had 
travelled  far  and  hard,  and  he  was  hungry.  Food 
meant  new  strength. 

But  he  was  not  as  reckless  as  he  seemed.  Noth 
ing  that  passed  in  the  forest  within  the  range 
of  eyesight  escaped  his  notice.  He  heard  the 
leaf,  when  it  fell  close  by,  and  the  light  tread  of 
a  deer  passing.  He  remained  a  full  hour  between 
the  roots,  a  long  time  for  one  who  might  have  a 
purpose,  and,  after  he  rose,  he  did  not  scatter  the 
fire  and  trample  upon  the  brands  after  the  wilder 
ness  custom  when  one  was  ready  to  depart.  The 
flames  had  died  down,  but  he  let  the  coals  smoulder 
on,  and,  hundreds  of  yards  away,  he  could  still  see 
their  smoke.  Now,  he  sought  the  softest  parts  of 
the  earth  and  trod  there  deliberately,  leaving  many 
footprints.  Again  he  cut  little  chips  from  the 
trees  as  he  passed,  but  never  ceased  his  swift  and 
silent  journey  to  the  south.  The  hours  fled  by,  and 
a  dark  shade  appeared  in  the  east.  It  deepened  into 
dusk,  and  spread  steadily  toward  the  zenith.  The 

6 


THE  CALL 

sun,  a  golden  ball,  sank  behind  a  hill  in  the  west, 
and  then  the  shiftless  one  stopped. 

He  ascended  a  low  hill  again,  and  took  a  long 
scrutinizing  look  around  the  whole  horizon.  But 
his  gaze  was  not  apprehensive.  On  the  contrary, 
it  was  expectant,  and  his  face  seemed  to  show  a 
slight  disappointment  when  the  wilderness  merely 
presented  its  wonted  aspect.  Then  he  built  an 
other  fire,  not  choosing  a  secluded  glade,  but  the  top 
of  the  hill,  the  most  exposed  spot  that  he  could  find, 
and,  after  he  had  eaten  his  supper,  he  sat  beside  it, 
the  expectant  air  still  on  his  face. 

Nothing  came.  But  the  shiftless  one  sat  long. 
He  raked  up  dead  leaves  of  last  year's  winter  and 
made  a  pillow,  against  which  he  reclined  luxuriously. 
Shif'less  Sol  was  one  who  drew  mental  and  physical 
comfort  from  every  favoring  circumstance,  and  the 
leaves  felt  very  soft  to  his  head  and  shoulders.  He 
was  not  in  the  least  lonesome,  although  the  night 
had  fully  come,  and  heavy  darkness  lay  like  a  black 
robe  over  the  forest.  He  stretched  out  his  mocca- 
sined  toes  to  the  fire,  closed  his  eyes  for  a  moment 
or  two,  and  a  dreamy  look  of  satisfaction  rested  on 
his  face.  It  seemed  to  the  shiftless  one  that  he  lay 
in  the  very  lap  of  luxury,  in  the  very  best  of 
worlds. 

But  when  he  opened  his  eyes  again  he  continued 
to  watch  the  forest,  or  rather  he  watched  with  his 
cars  now,  as  he  lay  close  to  the  earth,  and  his  hear 
ing,  at  all  times,  was  so  acute  that  it  seemed  to  bor 
der  upon  instinct  or  divination.  But  no  sound  save 

7 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

the  usual  ones  of  the  forest  and  the  night  came  to 
him,  and  he  remained  quite  still,  thinking. 

Shif'less  Sol  Hyde  was  in  an  exalted  mood,  and 
the  flickering  firelight  showed  a  face  refined  and  en 
nobled  by  a  great  purpose.  Leading  a  life  that 
made  him  think  little  of  hardship  and  danger  he 
thought  nothing  at  all  of  them  now,  but  he  felt  in 
stead  a  great  buoyancy,  and  a  hope  equally  great. 

He  lay  awake  a  full  three  hours  after  the  dark 
had  come,  and  he  rose  only  twice  from  his  reclining 
position,  each  time  merely  to  replenish  the  fire  which 
remained  a  red  core  in  the  circling  blackness.  Al 
ways  he  was  listening  and  always  he  heard  nothing 
but  the  usual  sounds  of  the  forest  and  the  night. 
The  darkness  grew  denser  and  heavier,  but  after  a 
while  it  began  to  thin  and  lighten.  The  sky  became 
clear,  and  the  great  stars  swam  in  the  dusky  blue. 
Then  Shif'less  Sol  fell  asleep,  head  on  the  leaves, 
feet  to  the  fire,  and  slept  soundly  all  through  the 
night. 

He  was  up  at  dawn,  cooked  his  breakfast,  and 
then,  after  another  long  and  searching  examination 
of  the  surrounding  forest,  departed,  leaving  the 
coals  of  the  fire  to  smoulder,  and  tell  as  they  might 
that  some  one  had  passed.  Shif'less  Sol  through 
out  that  morning  repeated  the  tactics  of  the  preced 
ing  day,  leaving  footprints  that  would  last,  and  cut 
ting  pieces  of  bark  from  the  trees  with  his  sharp 
hatchet.  At  the  noon  hour  he  stopped,  according 
to  custom,  and,  just  when  he  had  lighted  his  fire,  he 
uttered  a  low  cry  of  pleasure. 

8 


THE  CALL 

The  shiftless  one  was  gazing  back  upon  his  own 
trail,  and  the  singular  look  of  exaltation  upon  his 
face  deepened.  He  rose  to  his  feet  and  stood,  very 
erect,  in  the  attitude  of  one  who  welcomes.  No  un 
dergrowth  was  here,  and  he  could  see  far  down  the 
aisles  of  trunks. 

A  figure,  so  distant  that  only  a  keen  eye  would  no 
tice  it,  was  approaching.  It  came  on  swiftly  and 
silently,  much  after  the  manner  of  the  shiftless  one 
himself,  elastic,  and  instinct  with  strength. 

The  figure  was  that  of  a  boy  in  years,  but  of  a 
man  in  size,  surpassing  Shif'less  Sol  himself  in 
height,  yellow  haired,  blue-eyed,  and  dressed,  too,  in 
the  neatest  of  forest  garb.  His  whole  appearance 
was  uncommon,  likely  anywhere  to  attract  attention 
and  admiration.  The  shiftless  one  drew  a  long 
breath  of  mingled  welcome  and  approval. 

"  I  knew  that  he  would  be  first,"  he  murmured. 

Then  he  sat  down  and  began  to  broil  a  juicy  deer 
steak  on  the  end  of  a  sharpened  stick. 

Henry  Ware  came  into  the  little  glade.  He  had 
seen  the  fire  afar  and  he  knew  who  waited.  All  was 
plain  to  him  like  the  print  of  a  book,  and,  without 
a  word,  he  dropped  down  on  the  other  side  of  the 
fire  facing  Shif'less  Sol.  The  two  nodded,  but 
their  eyes  spoke  far  more.  Sol  held  out  the  steak, 
now  crisp  and  brown  and  full  of  savor,  and  Henry 
began  to  eat.  Sol  quickly  broiled  another  for  him 
self,  and  joined  him  in  the  pleasant  task,  over  which 
they  were  silent  for  a  little  while. 

"  I  was  on  the  Ohio,"  said  Henry  at  last,  "  when 

9 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

the  trapper  brought  me  your  message,  but  I  started 
at  once." 

"  O'  course,"  said  Shif'less  Sol,  "  I  never  doubted 
it  for  a  minute.  I  reckon  that  you've  come  about 
seven  hundred  miles." 

"  Nearer  eight,"  said  Henry,  "  but  I'm  fresh  and 
strong,  and  we  need  all  our  strength,  Sol,  because 
it's  a  great  task  that  lies  before  us." 

"  It  shorely  is,"  said  Sol,  "  an'  that's  why  I  sent 
the  message.  I  don't  want  to  brag,  Henry,  but 
we've  done  a  big  thing  or  two  before,  an'  maybe  we 
kin  do  a  bigger  now." 

He  spoke  the  dialect  of  the  border,  he  was  not  a 
man  of  books,  but  that  great  look  of  exaltation  came 
into  his  face  again,  and  the  boy  on  the  other  side  of 
the  fire  shared  it. 

"  It  seems  to  me,  Sol,"  said  Henry  presently, 
"  that  we've  been  selected  for  work  of  a  certain  kind. 
We  finish  one  job,  and  then  another  on  the  same  line 
begins." 

"  Mebbe  it's  because  we  like  to  do  it,  an'  are  fit 
fur  it,"  said  Sol  philosophically.  "  I've  noticed 
that  a  river  gen'ally  runs  in  a  bed  that  suits  it.  I 
don't  know  whether  the  bed  is  thar  because  the  river 
is,  or  the  river  is  thar  'cause  the  bed  is,  but  it's  shore 
that  they're  both  thar  together,  an'  you  can't  git 
aroun'  that." 

"  There's  something  in  what  you  say,"  said 
Henry. 

Then  they  relapsed  into  silence,  and,  in  a  half 
hour,  as  if  by  mutual  consent,  they  rose,  left  the  fire 

10 


THE  CALL 

burning,  and  departed,  still  walking  steadily  toward 
the  south. 

The  country  grew  rougher.  The  hills  were 
higher  and  closer  together,  and  the  undergrowth  be 
came  thick.  Neither  took  any  precautions  as  they 
passed  among  the  slender  bushes,  frequently  tramp 
ling  them  down  and  leaving  signs  that  the  blindest 
could  not  fail  to  see.  Now  and  then  the  two  looked 
back,  but  they  beheld  only  the  forest  and  the  forest 
people. 

"  I  don't  think  I  ever  saw  the  game  so  tame  be 
fore,"  said  Henry. 

"  Which  means,"  said  Sol,  "  that  the  warriors 
ain't  hunted  here  fur  a  long  time.  I  ain't  seen  a 
single  sign  o'  them." 

"  Nor  I." 

They  fell  silent  and  scarcely  spoke  until  the  sun 
was  setting  again,  when  they  stopped  for  the  night, 
choosing  a  conspicuous  place,  as  Sol  had  done  the 
evening  before.  After  supper,  they  sought  soft 
places  on  the  turf,  and  lay  in  peace,  gazing  up  at  the 
great  stars.  Henry  was  the  first  to  break  the  silence. 

"  One  is  coming,"  he  said.  "  I  can  hear  the  foot 
step.  Listen !  " 

His  ear  was  to  the  earth,  and  the  shiftless  one  imi 
tated  him.  At  the  end  of  a  minute  he  spoke. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  hear  him,  too.  We'll  make 
him  welcome." 

He  rose,  put  a  fresh  piece  of  wood  on  the  fire, 
and  smiled,  as  he  saw  the  flame  leap  up  and  crackle 
merrily. 

i  r 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  Here  he  is,"  said  Henry. 

The  figure  that  emerged  from  the  bushes  was 
thick-set  and  powerful,  the  strong  face  seamed  and 
tanned  by  the  wind,  rain  and  sun  of  years.  The 
man  stepped  into  the  circle  of  the  firelight,  and  held 
out  his  hand.  Each  shook  it  with  a  firm  and  hearty 
clasp,  and  Tom  Ross  took  his  seat  with  them  beside 
the  fire.  They  handed  him  food  first,  and  then  he 
said: 

"  I  was  away  up  in  the  Miami  country,  huntin' 
buffalo,  when  the  word  came  to  me,  Sol,  but  I  quit 
on  the  minute  an'  started." 

"  I  was  shore  you  would,"  said  the  shiftless  one 
quietly.  "  Buffaloes  are  big  game,  but  we're  huntin' 
bigger  now." 

"  I  was  never  in  this  part  of  the  country  before," 
said  Tom  Ross,  looking  around  curiously  at  the 
ghostly  tree  trunks. 

"  I've  been  through  here,"  said  Henry,  "  and  it 
runs  on  in  the  same  way  for  hundreds  of  miles  in 
every  direction." 

"  Bigger  anj  finer  than  any  o'  them  old  empires 
that  Paul  used  to  tell  us  about,"  said  Shif'less  Sol. 

"  Yes,"  said  Henry. 

The  three  looked  at  one  another  significantly. 

They  wrapped  themselves  in  their  blankets  by 
and  by,  and  went  to  sleep  on  the  soft  turf.  Henry 
was  the  first  to  awake,  just  when  the  dawn  was 
turning  from  pink  to  red,  and  a  single  glance  re 
vealed  to  him  an  object  on  the  horizon  that  had  not 
been  there  the  night  before.  A  man  stood  on  the 

12 


THE  CALL 

crest  of  a  low  hill,  and  even  at  the  distance,  Henry 
recognized  him.  His  comrades  were  awaking  and 
he  turned  to  them. 

"See!  "  he  said,  pointing  with  a  long  forefinger. 
Their  eyes  followed,  and  they  too  recognized  the 
man. 

"  He'll  be  here  in  a  minute,"  said  Shif'less  Sol. 
"  He  jest  eats  up  space." 

He  spoke  the  truth,  as  it  seemed  scarcely  a  minute 
before  Long  Jim  Hart  entered  the  camp,  showing 
no  sign  of  fatigue.  The  three  welcomed  him  and 
gave  him  a  place  at  their  breakfast  fire. 

"  I  wuz  at  Marlowe,"  he  said,  "  when  the  word 
reached  me,  but  I  started  just  an  hour  later.  I 
struck  your  trail,  Sol,  two  days  back,  an'  I  traveled 
nearly  all  last  night.  I  saw  Henry  join  you  an'  then 
Tom." 

Shif'less  Sol  laughed.  He  had  a  soft,  mellow 
laugh  that  crinkled  up  the  corners  of  his  mouth,  and 
made  his  eyes  shine.  There  was  no  doubt  that  a  man 
who  laughed  such  a  laugh  was  enjoying  himself. 

"  I  reckon  you  didn't  have  much  trouble  follerin' 
that  trail  o'  ourn,"  he  said. 

Jim  Hart  answered  the  laugh  with  a  grin. 
"  Not  much,"  he  replied.     "  It  was  like  a  wagon 
road  through  the  wilderness.     The  ashes  uv  your  last 
camp  fire  weren't  sca'cely  cold  when  I  passed  by." 

"  We're  all  here  'cept  the  fifth  feller,"  said  Tom 
Ross. 

"  The  fifth  will  come,"  said  Henry  emphatically. 
"  Uv  course,"  said  Tom  Ross  with  equal  emphasis. 

13 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  And  when  he  comes,"  said  Shif'less  Sol,  "  we 
take  right  hold  o'  the  big  job." 

They  lingered  awhile  over  their  breakfast,  but  saw 
no  one  approaching.  Then  they  took  up  the  march 
again,  going  steadily  southward  in  single  file,  talking 
little,  but  leaving  a  distinct  trail.  They  were  only 
four,  but  they  were  a  formidable  party,  all  strong  of 
arm,  keen  of  eye  and  ear,  skilled  in  the  lore  of  the 
forest,  and  every  one  bore  the  best  weapons  that  the 
time  could  furnish. 

Toward  noon  the  day  grew  very  warm  and  clouds 
gathered  in  the  sky.  The  wind  became  damp. 

"  Rain,"  said  Henry.  "  I'm  sorry  of  that.  I  wish 
It  wouldn't  break  before  he  overtook  us." 

"  S'pose  we  stop  an'  make  ready,"  said  Shif'less 
Sol.  "  You  know  we  ain't  bound  to  be  in  a  big  hurry, 
an'  it  won't  help  any  o'  us  to  get  a  soakin'." 

"  You're  shorely  right,  Sol,"  said  Jim  Hart. 
"  We're  bound  to  take  trie  best  uv  care  uv  ourselves." 

They  looked  around  with  expert  eyes,  and  quickly 
chose  a  stony  outcrop  or  hollow  in  the  side  of  a  hill, 
just  above  which  grew  two  gigantic  beeches  very  close 
together.  Then  it  was  wonderful  to  see  them  work, 
so  swift  and  skillful  were  they.  They  cut  small  sap 
lings  with  their  hatchets,  and,  with  the  little  poles 
and  fallen  bark  of  last  year,  made  a  rude  thatch 
which  helped  out  the  thick  branches  of  the  beeches 
overhead.  They  also  built  up  the  sides  of  the  hollow 
with  the  same  materials,  and  the  whole  was  done  in 
less  than  ten  minutes.  Then  they  raked  in  heaps  of 
dead  leaves  and  sat  down  upon  them  comfortably. 

14 


THE  CALL 

Many  drops  of  water  would  come  through  the  leaves 
and  thatch,  but  such  as  they,  hardened  to  the  wil 
derness,  would  not  notice  them. 

Meanwhile  the  storm  was  gathering  with  the  ra 
pidity  so  frequent  in  the  great  valley.  All  the  little 
clouds  swung  together  and  made  a  big  one  that  cov 
ered  nearly  the  whole  sky.  The  air  darkened  rap 
idly.  Thunder  began  to  growl  and  mutter  and  now 
and  then  emitted  a  sharp  crash.  Lightning  cut  the 
heavens  from  zenith  to  horizon,  and  the  forest  would 
leap  into  the  light,  standing  there  a  moment,  vivid, 
like  tracery. 

A  blaze  more  brilliant  than  all  the  rest  cleft  wide 
the  sky  and,  as  they  looked  toward  the  North,  they 
saw  directly  in  the  middle  of  the  flame  a  black  dot 
that  had  not  been  there  before. 

"  He's  coming,"  said  Henry  in  the  quiet  tone  that 
indicated  nothing  more  than  a  certainty  fulfilled. 

"  Just  in  time  to  take  a  seat  in  our  house,"  said 
the  shiftless  one. 

Sol  ran  out  and  gave  utterance  to  a  long  echoing 
cry  that  sounded  like  a  call.  It  was  answered  at 
once  by  the  new  black  dot  under  the  Northern  hori 
zon,  which  was  now  growing  fast  in  size,  as  it  came 
on  rapidly.  It  took  a  human  shape,  and,  thirty  yards 
away,  a  fine,  delicately-chiselled  face,  the  face  of  a 
scholar  and  dreamer,  remarkable  in  the  wilderness, 
was  revealed.  The  face  belonged  to  a  youth,  tall 
and  strong,  but  not  so  tall  and  large  as  Henry. 

"  Here  we  are,  Paul,"  said  Shif'less  Sol.  "  We've 
fixed  fur  you." 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  And  mighty  glad  I  am  to  overtake  you  fellows," 
said  Paul  Cotter,  "  particularly  at  this  time." 

He  ran  for  the  shelter  just  as  the  forest  began  to 
moan,  and  great  drops  of  rain  rushed  down  upon 
them.  He  was  inside  in  a  moment,  and  each  gave  his 
hand  a  firm  grasp. 

"  We're  all  here  now,"  said  Henry. 

"  All  here  and  ready  for  the  great  work,"  said 
Shif'less  Sol,  his  tranquil  face  illumined  again  with 
that  look  of  supreme  exaltation. 

Then  the  storm  burst.  The  skies  opened  and 
dropped  down  floods  of  water.  They  heard  it  beat 
ing  on  the  leaves  and  thatch  overhead,  and  some  came 
through,  falling  upon  them  but  they  paid  no  heed. 
They  sat  placidly  until  the  rush  and  roar  passed,  and 
then  Henry  said  to  the  others : 

"  We're  to  stick  to  the  task  that  we've  set  our 
selves  through  thick  and  through  thin,  through  every 
thing?" 

"Yes!     Yes!" 

"  If  one  falls,  the  four  that  are  left  keep  on?  " 

"Yes!  yes!" 

"If  three  fall  and  only  two  are  left,  these  must 
not  flinch." 

"Yes!  yes!" 

"If  four  go  down  and  only  one  is  left,  then  he 
whoever  he  may  be,  must  go  on  and  win  alone?  " 

"  Yes !    yes !  "  came  forth  with  deep  emphasis. 


CHAPTER  II 

A    FOREST   ENVOY 

A  GROUP  of  men  were  seated  in  a  pleasant 
valley,  where  the  golden  beams  of  the  sun 
sifted  in  myriads  through  the  green  leaves. 
They  were  about  fifty  in  number  and  all  were  white. 
Most  of  them  were  dressed  in  Old  World  fashion, 
doublets,  knee  breeches,  hose,  and  cocked  hats. 
Nearly  all  were  dark;  olive  faces,  black  hair,  and 
black  pointed  beards,  but  now  and  then  one  had  fair 
hair,  and  eyes  of  a  cold,  pale  blue.  Manner,  speech, 
looks,  and  dress,  alike  differentiated  them  from  the 
borderers.  They  were  not  the  kind  of  men  whom 
one  would  expect  to  find  in  these  lonely  woods  in  the 
heart  of  North  America. 

The  leader  of  the  company  —  and  obviously  he 
was  such  —  was  one  of  the  few  who  belonged  to 
the  blonde  type.  His  eyes  were  of  the  chilly,  metallic 
blue,  and  his  hair,  long  and  fair,  curled  at  the  ends. 
His  dress,  of  some  fine,  black  cloth,  was  scrupulously 
neat  and  clean,  and  a  silver-hiked  small  sword  swung 
at  his  belt.  He  was  not  more  than  thirty. 

The  fair  man  was  leaning  lazily  but  gracefully 
against  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  he  talked  in  a  manner 
that  seemed  indolent  and  careless,  but  which  was 
neither  to  a  youth  in  buckskins  who  sat  opposite  him, 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

a  striking  contrast  in  appearance.  This  youth  was 
undeniably  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  type,  large  and  well- 
built,  with  a  broad,  full  forehead,  but  with  eyes  set 
too  close  together.  He  was  tanned  almost  to  the 
darkness  of  an  Indian. 

4  You  tell  me,  Senor  Wyatt,"  said  "Don  Francisco 
Alvarez,  the  leader  of  the  Spanish  band,  "  that  the 
new  settlers  in  Kaintock*  have  twice  driven  off  the 
allied  tribes,  and  that,  if  they  are  left  alone  another 
year  or  two,  they  will  go  down  so  deep  in  the  soil 
that  they  can  never  be  uprooted.  Is  it  not  so?  " 

"  It  is  so,"  replied  Braxton  Wyatt,  the  renegade. 
The  tribes  have  failed  twice  in  a  great  effort.  Every 
man  among  these  settlers  is  a  daring  and  skillful 
fighter,  and  many  of  the  boys  —  and  many  of  the 
women,  too.  But  if  white  troops  and  cannon  arc 
sent  against  them  their  forts  must  fall.'* 

The  Spaniard  was  idly  whipping  the  grass  stems 
with  a  little  switch.  Now  he  narrowed  his  metallic, 
blue  eyes,  and  gazed  directly  into  those  of  Braxton 
Wyatt. 

"  And  you,  Senor  Wyatt?  "  he  said,  speaking  his 
slow,  precise  English.  "  Nothing  premeditated  is 
done  without  a  motive.  You  are  of  these  people 
who  live  in  Kaintock,  their  blood  is  your  blood;  why 
then  do  you  wish  to  have  them  destroyed?  " 

A  deep  flush  broke  its  way  through  the  brown  tan 
on  the  face  of  Braxton  Wyatt,  and  his  eyes  fell  before 
the  cold  gaze  of  the  Spaniard.  But  he  raised  them 
again  in  a  moment.  Braxton  Wyatt  was  not  a  cow- 

*An  early  French  and  Spanish  name  for  Kentucky. 

18 


A  FOREST  ENVOY 

ard,  and  he  never  permitted  a  guilty  conscience  to 
last  longer  than  a  throb  or  two. 

"  I  did  belong  to  them,"  he  replied,  "  but  my  tastes 
led  me  away.  I  have  felt  that  all  this  mighty  valley 
should  belong  to  the  Indians  who  have  inhabited  it 
so  long,  but,  if  the  white  people  come,  it  should  be 
those  who  are  true  and  loyal  to  their  kings,  not  these 
rebels  of  the  colonies." 

Francisco  Alvarez  smiled  cynically,  and  once  more 
surveyed  Braxton  Wyatt,  with  a  rapid,  measuring 
glance. 

"  You  speak  my  sentiments,  Senor  Wyatt,"  he 
said,  "  and  you  speak  them  in  a  language  that  I 
scarcely  expected." 

"  I  had  a  schoolmaster  even  in  the  wilderness," 
said  Braxton  Wyatt.  "  And  I  may  tell  you,  too,  as 
proof  of  my  faith  that  I  would  be  hanged  at  once 
should  I  return  to  the  settlements." 

"  I  do  not  doubt  your  faith.  I  was  merely  curious 
about  your  motives.  I  am  sure  also  that  you  can  be 
of  great  help  to  us." 

He  spoke  in  a  patronizing  manner,  and  Braxton 
Wyatt  moved  slightly  in  anger,  but  restrained  his 
speech. 

"  I  may  say,"  continued  the  Spaniard,  u  that  His 
Excellency  Bernardo  Galvez,  His  Most  Catholic 
Majesty's  Governor  of  his  loyal  province  of  Louis 
iana,  has  been  stirred  by  the  word  that  comes  to 
him  of  these  new  settlements  of  the  rebel  Americans 
in  the  land  of  the  Ohio.  The  province  of  Louisiana 
is  vast,  and  it  may  be  that  it  includes  the  country  on 

'9 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

either  side  of  the  Ohio.  The  French,  our  predeces^ 
sors,  claimed  it,  and  now  that  all  the  colonists  east 
of  the  mountains  are  busy  fighting  their  king,  it  may 
be  easy  to  take  it  from  them,  as  one  would  snip  off 
a  skirt  with  a  pair  of  scissors.  That  is  why  I  and  this 
faithful  band  are  so  far  north  in  these  woods." 

Braxton  Wyatt  nodded. 

"  And  a  wise  thing,  too,"  he  said.  "  I  am  strong 
with  the  tribes.  The  great  chief,  Yellow  Panther, 
of  the  Miamis  and  the  great  chief,  Red  Eagle,  of 
the  Shawnees  are  both  my  friends.  I  know  how 
they  feel.  The  Spanish  in  New  Orleans  are  far 
away.  Their  settlements  do  not  spread.  They  come 
rather  to  hunt  and  trade.  But  the  Americans  push 
farther  and  farther.  They  build  their  homes  and 
they  never  go  back.  Do  you  wonder  then  that  the 
warriors  wish  your  help?  " 

Francisco  Alvarez  smiled  again.  It  was  a  cold 
but  satisfied  smile  and  he  rubbed  one  white  hand  over 
the  other. 

"  Your  logic  is  good,"  he  said,  "  and  these  reasons 
have  occurred  to  me,  also,  but  my  master,  Bernardo 
Galvez,  the  Governor,  is  troubled.  We  love  not 
England  and  there  is  a  party  among  us  — a  party  at 
present  in  power  —  which  wishes  to  help  the  Amer 
icans  in  order  that  we  may  damage  England,  but  I, 
if  I  could  choose  the  way  would  have  no  part  in  it. 
As  surely  as  we  help  the  rebels  we  will  also  create 
rebels  against  ourselves." 

"  You  are  far  from  New  Orleans,"  said  Braxton 
Wyatt.  "  It  would  take  long  for  a  messenger  to 

20 


A  FOREST  ENVOY 

go  and  come,  and  meanwhile  you  could  act  as  you 
think  best." 

"  It  is  so,"  said  the  Spaniard.  "  Our  presence 
here  is  unknown  to  all  save  the  chiefs  and  yourself. 
In  this  wilderness,  a  thousand  miles  from  his  su 
perior,  one  must  act  according  to  his  judgment,  and  I 
should  like  to  see  these  rebel  settlements  crushed.11 

He  spoke  to  himself  rather  than  to  Wyatt,  and 
again  his  eyes  narrowed.  Blue  eyes  are  generally 
warm  and  sympathetic,  but  his  were  of  the  cold,  me 
tallic  shade  that  can  express  cruelty  so  well.  He 
plucked,  too,  at  his  short,  light  beard,  and  Braxton 
Wyatt  read  his  thoughts.  The  renegade  felt  a  thrill 
of  satisfaction.  Here  was  a  man  who  could  be  useful. 

"  How  far  is  it  from  this  place  to  the  land  of  the 
Miamis  and  the  Shawnees?  "  asked  Alvarez. 

"  It  must  be  six  or  seven  hundred  miles,  but  bands 
of  both  tribes  are  now  hunting  much  farther  west. 
One  Shawnee  party  that  I  know  of  is  even  now  west 
of  the  Mississippi." 

Francisco  Alvarez  frowned  slightly. 

"  It  is  a  huge  country,"  he  said.  "  These  great 
distances  annoy  me.  Still,  one  must  travel  them. 
Ah,  what  is  it  now?" 

He  was  looking  at  Braxton  Wyatt,  as  he  spoke, 
and  he  saw  a  sudden  change  appear  upon  his  face,  a 
look  of  recognition  and  then  of  mingled  hate  and 
rage.  The  renegade  was  staring  Northward,  and 
the  eyes  of  Alvarez  followed  his. 

The  Spaniard  saw  a  man  or  rather  a  youth  ap 
proaching,  a  straight,  slender,  but  tall  and  compact 

21 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

figure,  and  a  face  uncommon  in  the  wilderness,  fine, 
delicate,  with  the  eyes  of  a  dreamer,  and  seer,  but 
never  weak.  The  youth  came  on  steadily,  straight 
toward  the  Spanish  camp. 

"  Paul  Cotter!"  exclaimed  Braxton  Wyatt. 
"  How  under  the  sun  did  he  come  here !  " 

"  Some  one  you  know?  "  said  Alvarez  who  heard 
the  words. 

4  Yes,  from  the  settlements  of  which  we  speak," 
replied  Wyatt  quickly  and  in  a  low  tone.  He  had 
no  time  to  add  more,  because  Paul  was  now  in  the 
Spanish  camp,  and  was  gravely  saluting  the  leader, 
whom  he  had  recognized  instantly  to  be  such  by  his 
dress  and  manner.  Francisco  Alvarez  rose  to  his 
feet,  and  politely  returned  the  salute.  He  saw  at 
once  a  quality  in  the  stranger  that  was  not  wholly  of 
the  wilderness.  Braxton  Wyatt  nodded,  but  Paul 
took  no  notice  whatever  of  him.  A  flush  broke  again 
through  the  tan  of  the  renegade's  face. 

"  Be  seated,"  said  Alvarez,  and  Paul  sat  down  on 
a  little  grassy  knoll. 

"  You  are  Captain  Francisco  Alvarez  of  the  Span 
ish  forces  at  New  Orleans?  " 

"  You  have  me  truly,"  replied  the  Spaniard  smiling 
and  shrugging  his  shoulders,  u  although  I  cannot  sur 
mise  how  you  became  aware  of  my  presence  here.  But 
the  domains  of  my  master,  the  king,  extend  far,  and 
his  servants  must  travel  far,  also,  to  do  his  will." 

Paul  understood  the  implication  in  his  words,  but 
he,  too,  had  the  gift  of  language  and  diplomacy,  and 
he  did  not  reply  to  it.  Stirred  by  deep  curiosity,  the 

22 


A  FOREST  ENVOY 

Spanish  soldiers  were  gathering  a  little  nearer,  but 
Alvarez  waved  back  all  but  Wyatt. 

"  I  am  glad  to  find  you  here,  Captain  Alvarez," 
said  Paul  with  a  gravity  beyond  his  years;  indeed,  as 
he  spoke,  his  face  was  lighted  up  by  that  same  singu 
lar  look  of  exaltation  that  had  passed  more  than 
once  over  the  face  of  the  shiftless  one.  "  And  I  am 
glad  because  I  have  come  for  a  reason,  one  of  the 
greatest  of  all  reasons.  I  want  to  say  something, 
not  for  myself,  but  for  others." 

"  Ah,  an  ambassador,  I  see,"  said  Francisco  Al 
varez  with  a  light  touch  of  irony. 

But  Paul  took  no  notice  of  the  satire.  He  was  far 
too  much  in  earnest,  and  he  resumed  in  tones  impres 
sive  in  their  solemnity: 

"  I  am  from  one  of  the  little  white  villages  in  the 
Kentucky  woods  far  to  the  eastward.  There  we 
have  fought  the  wilderness  and  twice  we  have  driven 
back  strong  forces  of  the  allied  tribes,  although  they 
came  with  great  resolution  and  were  helped  more 
over  by  treachery." 

Braxton  Wyatt  moved  angrily  and  was  about  to 
speak,  but  Paul,  never  glancing  in  his  direction,  went 
on  steadily: 

"  These  settlements  cannot  be  uprooted  now. 
They  may  be  damaged.  They  may  be  made  to  suffer 
great  loss  and  grief,  but  the  vanguard  of  our  people 
will  never  turn  back.  Neither  warrior  nor  king  can 
withstand  it." 

Now  Paul's  look  was  wholly  that  of  the  prophet. 
As  he  said  the  last  words,  "  neither  warrior  nor  king 

23 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

can  withstand  it  "  his  face  was  transfigured.  He  did 
not  see  the  Spaniard  before  him,,  nor  Braxton  Wyatt, 
the  renegade,  nor  the  surrounding  woods,  but  he  saw 
instead  great  states  and  mighty  cities. 

The  Spaniard,  despite  his  displeasure,  was  im 
pressed  by  the  words  of  the  youth,  but  he  took  hold 
of  himself  bodily,  as  it  were,  and  shook  off  the  spell. 
A  challenging  light  sprang  into  his  cold  blue  eyes. 

"  I  do  not  know  so  much  about  warriors,"  he  said, 
"  but  kings  may  be  and  are  able  to  do  what  they 
will.  If  my  master  should  choose  to  put  forth 
his  strength,  even  to  send  his  far-extended  arm  into 
these  woods,  to  what  would  your  tiny  settlements 
amount?  A  pinch  of  sand  before  a  puff  of  wind. 
Whiff !  You  are  gone.  Nor  could  your  people  east 
of  the  mountains  help  you,  because  they,  on  bended 
knee,  will  soon  be  receiving  their  own  lesson  from  the 
King  of  England." 

Francisco  Alvarez  snapped  his  fingers,  as  if  Paul 
and  his  people  were  annihilated  by  a  single  derisive 
gesture.  Paul  reddened  and  a  dangerous  flash  came 
into  his  eyes.  But  the  natural  diplomatist  in  him 
took  control,  and  he  replied  with  the  utmost  calm 
ness: 

"  It  may  be  so,  but  it  is  not  a  question  that  should 
arise.  The  King  of  Spain  is  at  peace  with  us.  We 
even  hear,  deep  in  the  woods  as  we  are,  that  he  may 
take  our  part  against  England.  France  already  is 
helping  us.  So  I  have  come  to  ask  you  to  take  no 
share  in  plots  against  us,  not  to  listen  to  evil  counsels, 
and  not  to  turn  ear  to  traitors,  who,  having  been  trai- 

24 


A  FOREST  ENVOY 

tors  to  one  people,  can  readily  be  traitors  to  another." 

Braxton  Wyatt  leaped  to  his  feet,  his  face  blazing 
with  wrath,  and  his  hand  flew  to  the  hilt  of  the  knife 
at  his  belt. 

"  Now  this  is  more  than  I  will  stand !  "  he  ex 
claimed,  u  you  cannot  ignore  me,  Paul  Cotter,  until 
such  time  you  choose,  and  then  call  me  foul  names !  " 

The  Spaniard  smiled.  The  sight  of  Braxton 
Wyatt's  wrath  pleased  him,  but  he  put  out  his  hand 
in  a  detaining  gesture. 

"  Sit  down !  "  he  said  in  a  tone  so  sharp  that  Wyatt 
obeyed.  "  This  is  no  time  for  personal  quarrels.  As 
I  see  it,  an  embassy  has  come  to  us  and  we  must  dis 
cuss  matters  of  state.  Is  it  not  so,  Senor,  Serior  — " 

"  Cotter!     Paul  Cotter  is  my  name." 

Paul  felt  the  sneer  in  the  Spaniard's  last  words, 
but  he  hid  his  resentment. 

"  Then  your  proposition  is  this,"  continued  Alva 
rez,  "  that  I  and  my  men  have  nothing  to  do  with 
the  Indians,  that  we  make  no  treaty,  no  agreement 
with  them,  that  we  abandon  this  country  and  go  back 
to  New  Orleans.  This  you  propose  despite  the 
fact  that  the  region  in  which  we  now  are  belongs  to 
Spain." 

u  I  would  not  put  it  in  quite  that  fashion,"  re 
plied  Paul  calmly.  "  I  suggest  instead  that  you  be 
our  friend.  It  is  natural  for  the  white  races  to  stand 
together.  I  suggest  that  you  send  awayv  also,  the 
messenger  of  the  tribes  who  comes  seeking  your  help 
to  slaughter  women  and  children." 

Braxton  Wyatt  half  rose,  but  again  he  was  put 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

down   by  the   restraining   gesture   of   Francisco   Al 
varez. 

u  No  personal  quarrels,  as  I  stated  before/'  said 
the  Spaniard,  "  but  to  you,  Senor  Cotter,  I  wish  to 
say  that  I  have  heard  your  words,  but  it  seems  to  me 
they  are  without  weight.  I  do  not  agree  with  you 
that  the  settlements  of  the  Americans  cannot  be 
uprooted.  Nor  am  I  sure  that  your  title  to  Kain- 
tock  is  good.  It  was  claimed  in  the  beginning 
by  France,  and  justly,  but  a  great  war  gave  it  by 
might  though  not  by  right  to  England.  Now  Spain 
has  succeeded  to  France.  Here,  throughout  all  this 
vast  region,  there  is  none  to  dispute  her  title.  To  the 
east  of  the  Mississippi  great  changes  are  going  on, 
and  it  may  be  that  Kaintock,  also,  will  revert  to  my 
master,  the  king." 

He  waved  his  hand  in  a  gesture  of  finality,  and  a 
look  of  satisfaction  came  into  Braxton  Wyatt's  eyes. 
The  renegade  glanced  triumphantly  at  Paul,  but 
Paul's  face  remained  calm. 

"  You  would  not  proceed  to  any  act  of  hostility  in 
conjunction  with  the  tribes,  when  Spain  and  the  col 
onies  are  at  peace?  "  said  Paul  to  the  Spaniard. 

Francisco  Alvarez  frowned,  and  assumed  a 
haughty  look. 

"  I  make  neither  promises  nor  prophecies,"  he  said. 
"  I  have  spoken  courteously  to  you,  Senor  Cotter, 
although  you  are  a  trespasser  on  the  Spanish  domain. 
I  have  given  you  the  hospitality  of  our  camp,  but  I 
cannot  answer  questions  pertaining  to  the  policy  of 
my  government." 

26 


A  FOREST  ENVOY 

Paul,  for  the  rirst  time,  showed  asperity.  He,  too, 
drew  himself  up  with  a  degree  of  haughtiness,  and 
he  looked  Don  Francisco  Alvarez  squarely  in  the 
eyes,  as  he  replied: 

"  I  did  not  come  here  to  ask  questions.  I  came 
merely  to  say  that  our  nations  are  at  peace,  and  to 
urge  you  not  to  help  savages  in  a  war  upon  white 
people." 

u  I  do  not  approve  of  rebels,"  said  Alvarez. 

Paul  was  silent.  He  felt  instinctively  that  his 
mission  had  failed.  Something  cold  and  cruel  about 
the  Spaniard  repelled  him,  and  he  believed,  too,  that 
Braxton  Wyatt  had  not  been  without  a  sinister  in 
fluence. 

Alvarez  arose  and  walked  over  to  his  camp-fire. 
Braxton  Wyatt  followed  him  and  whispered  rapidly 
to  the  Spaniard.  Paul,  persistent  and  always  hope 
ful,  was  putting  down  his  anger  and  trying  to  think 
of  other  effective  words  that  he  might  use.  But  none 
would  come  into  his  head,  and  he,  too,  rose. 

"  I  am  sorry  that  we  cannot  agree,  Captain  Alva 
rez,"  he  said  with  the  grave  courtesy  that  became 
him  so  well,  "  and  therefore  I  will  bid  you  good 
day." 

A  thin  smile  passed  over  the  face  of  the  Spaniard, 
and  the  blue  eyes  shed  a  momentary,  metallic  gleam. 

"  I  pray  you  not  to  be  in  haste,  Serior  Cotter," 
he  said.  "  Be  our  guest  for  a  while." 

"  I  must  go,"  replied  Paul,  "  although  I  thank  you 
for  the  courtesy." 

"  But  we  cannot  part  with  you  now,"  said  the 
27 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Spaniard,  "  you  are  on  Spanish  soil.  Others  of  your 
kind  may  be  near,  also,  and  you  and  they  have  come, 
uninvited.  I  would  know  more  about  it." 

"  You  mean  that  you  will  detain  me?  "  said  Paul 
in  surprise. 

The  Spaniard  delicately  stroked  his  pointed  beard. 

"  Perhaps  that  is  the  word,"  he  replied.  "  As  I 
said,  you  have  trespassed  upon  our  domain,  and  I 
must  hold  you,  for  a  time,  at  least.  I  know  not  what 
plot  is  afoot." 

"  As  a  prisoner?  " 

"  If  you  wish  to  call  it  so." 

"  And  yet  there  is  no  war  between  your  country 
and  mine !  " 

The  Spaniard  delicately  stroked  his  pointed  beard 
again. 

Paul  looked  at  him  accusingly,  and  Francisco  Al 
varez  unable  to  sustain  his  straight  gaze,  turned  his 
eyes  aside.  But  Braxton  Wyatt's  face  was  full  of 
triumph,  although  he  kept  silent. 

Paul  thought  rapidly.  It  seemed  to  him  a  trai 
torous  design  and  he  did  not  doubt  that  Wyatt  had 
instigated  it,  but  he  must  submit  at  present.  He  was 
powerless  inside  a  ring  of  fifty  soldiers.  Without  a 
word,  he  sat  down  again  on  the  little  grassy  knoll 
and  it  pleased  Alvarez  to  affect  a  great  politeness, 
and  to  play  with  his  prisoner  as  a  cat  with  a  mouse. 
He  insisted  that  he  eat  and  he  made  his  men  bring 
him  the  tenderest  of  food,  deer  meat  and  wild  turkey, 
and  fish,  freshly  caught.  Finally  he  opened  a  flask 
and  poured  wine  in  a  small  silver  cup. 

28 


A  FOREST  ENVOY 

"  It  is  the  wine  of  Xeres,  Serior  Cotter,"  he 
said,  "  and  you  can  judge  how  precious  it  is,  as  it 
must  be  a  full  five  thousand  miles  from  its  birth 
place." 

He  handed  the  little  cup  in  grandiose  manner  to 
Paul,  and  Paul,  meeting  his  humor,  accepted  it  in  like 
fashion.  He  had  not  tasted  wine  often  in  his  life 
and  he  found  it  a  strong  fluid,  but,  in  this  crisis,  it 
strengthened  him  and  put  a  new  sparkle  in  his  blood. 

"  Thanks,"  he  said  as  he  politely  returned  the 
empty  cup,  and  resumed  his  seat  on  the  knoll.  Then 
Alvarez  walked  aside,  and  talked  again  in  whispers 
with  the  renegade. 

Wyatt  urged  that  Paul  be  held  indefinitely.  He 
would  not  talk  at  first,  but  they  must  get  from  him 
the  fullest  details  about  the  settlements  in  Kentucky, 
the  weak  points,  where  to  attack  and  when.  If  the 
settlements  were  left  alone  they  would  certainly 
spread  all  over  Kentucky  and  in  time  across  the  Mis 
sissippi  into  the  Spanish  domain.  Spain  was  far  away, 
and  she  could  not  drive  them  back.  But  the  Span 
iards  could  urge  on  the  tribes  again,  and  with  a  hid 
den  hand,  send  them  arms  and  ammunition.  White 
men  with  cannon  could  even  join  the  warriors,  and 
Spain  might  convincingly  say  that  she  knew  nothing 
of  it. 

The  words  of  the  renegade  pleased  Francisco  Al 
varez.  Deep  down  in  his  crafty  heart  he  loved  in 
trigue  and  cunning. 

"  Yes,  we'll  hold  him,"  he  said.  "  He  is  a  tres 
passer  here,  although  I  will  admit  that  he  is  not  the 

29 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

kind  of  person  that  I  expected  to  find  in  the  heart 
of  this  vast  wilderness." 

He  glanced  at  Paul,  who  was  sitting  on  the  knoll, 
calm  and  apparently  unconcerned,  his  fine  features  at 
rest,  his  blue  eyes  lazily  regarding  the  forest.  The 
blue  of  Paul's  eyes  was  different  from  the  blue  of 
the  eyes  of  Alvarez.  The  blue  of  his  was  deep, 
warm,  and  sympathetic. 

"  Is  it  likely  that  Cotter  is  alone?  "  Alvarez  asked 
of  Wyatt. 

"  Not  at  all,"  replied  the  renegade.  "  He  has 
friends,  and  I  warn  you  that  they  are  able  and  dan 
gerous.  We  must  be  on  our  watch  against  them." 

"What  friends?"  asked  the  Spaniard  incredu 
lously. 

"  There  is  a  group.  They  are  five.  Where  one 
of  them  is,  the  other  four  are  not  likely  to  be  far 
away.  There  is  Cotter's  comrade,  Henry  Ware,  a 
little  older,  and  larger  and  stronger,  wonderful  in  the 
woods !  He  surpasses  the  Indians  themselves  in  cun 
ning  and  craft.  Then  comes  Sol  Hyde,  whom  they 
call  the  shiftless  one,  but  swift  and  cunning,  and  much 
to  be  dreaded.  Look  out  for  him  when  he  is  pretend 
ing  to  be  most  harmless.  And  then  Tom  Ross,  who 
has  been  a  hunter  and  guide  all  his  life,  and  the  one 
they  call  Long  Jim,  the  swiftest  runner  in  the  wil 
derness.  Oh,  I  know  them  all !  " 

"  Perhaps  you  have  had  cause  to  know  them  well," 
said  the  Spaniard  in  a  sardonic  tone  —  he  was  a 
keen  reader  of  character,  and  he  understood  Brax- 
ton  Wyatt. 

30 


A  FOREST  ENVOY 

But  Braxton  Wyatt  ignored  the  taunt  in  his  anx 
iety. 

"  They  must  not  be  taken  too  lightly,"  he  said. 
"  They  are  somewhere  in  these  woods,  and,  Captain, 
I  warn  you  once  more  against  them." 

The  Spaniard  smiled  in  his  superior  way,  and, 
turning  to  his  men,  began  to  give  directions  for  the 
camp  that  night.  Sunset  was  not  far  away,  and  they 
would  remain  in  the  glade.  His  was  too  strong  a 
force  to  fear  attack  in  that  isolated  region,  but  Al 
varez  posted  sentinels,  and  ordered  the  others  to  sleep, 
when  the  time  came,  in  a  wide  ring  about  the  fire. 
Within  the  ring  he  and  Paul  and  Wyatt  sat,  and  the 
Spaniard,  maintaining  his  light,  ironic  humor,  talked 
much.  Paul,  if  addressed  directly  by  Alvarez,  al 
ways  answered,  but  he  persistently  ignored  the  rene 
gade.  Such  a  being  filled  him  with  horror,  and  once, 
when  Wyatt  gave  him  a  look  of  deadly  hate,  Paul 
shot  back  one  of  his  own,  fully  a  match  for  it.  But 
that  was  all. 

Night  came  on  fast.  The  red  sun  shot  down. 
Darkness  fell  upon  the  forest,  and  swept  up  to  the 
circling  rim  of  the  camp  fire.  Chill  came  into  the 
air.  The  Spaniards  shivered  and  crept  a  little  nearer 
to  the  coals.  Talk  ceased,  and,  out  of  the  illimita 
ble  forest,  came  the  low,  moaning  sound  of  the  wind 
among  the  leaves.  The  great  stars  sprang  out,  and 
shone  with  a  thin,  pale  light  on  the  wilderness. 

Francisco  Alvarez  was  a  brave  man,  but  he  was 
born  on  sunny  plains  where  he  basked  in  warmth  and 
the  eye  ranged  far.  Now,  despite  himself,  he  felt  a 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

chill  that  was  uncanny.  The  forest,  thick  and  black, 
spread  away,  he  knew,  for  hundreds  of  miles,  and 
neither  city  nor  town  broke  it.  A  fervent  imagina 
tion  leaped  up  and  peopled  it  with  weird  beings. 
Nor  would  imagination  go  down  before  will  and 
knowledge.  Boughs  twisted  themselves  into  fantas 
tic,  hideous  shapes,  and  the  moan  of  the  wind  was 
certainly  like  the  cry  of  a  soul  in  torment. 

Don  Francisco  Alvarez  shivered  and  the  shiver  be 
came  a  shudder.  He  looked  across  the  fire  at  his 
prisoner,  but  Paul  seemed  unconscious  of  the  forest 
and  the  night,  and  the  demon  spell  of  the  two.  The 
lad  sat  immovable.  Upon  his  face  was  the  dreamy, 
mystic  look  that  so  often  came  there.  He  seemed  to 
be  gazing  far  beyond  the  Spaniard  and  the  renegade 
into  some  greater  future. 

Francisco  Alvarez,  brave  man  though  he  was,  felt 
awe.  He  rose  impatiently,  kicked  a  coal  deeper  into 
the  fire,  looked  once  more  at  Paul,  who  was  yet 
silent,  and  spoke  sharply  to  the  sentinels.  Then  he 
returned  to  his  place,  and  said  to  Paul : 

"  We  offer  you  the  hospitality  of  the  forest  and  an 
extra  blanket  if  you  wish  it." 

"  It's  a  hospitality  to  which  I'm  used,"  replied 
Paul,  "  and  I  don't  need  the  extra  blanket,  although 
I  thank  you  for  the  offer." 

He  took  his  own  blanket  from  the  little  roll  at  his 
back,  wrapped  himself  in  it,  pillowed  his  head  on  the 
knoll,  and  closed  his  eyes.  Francisco  Alvarez  looked 
at  him  for  some  minutes,  and  could  not  tell  whether 
he  was  sleeping  or  waking,  but  he  thought  that  he 

32 


A  FOREST  ENVOY 

slept.  His  long,  regular  breathing  and  the  expres 
sion  of  his  face,  as  peaceful  as  that  of  a  little  child,  in 
dicated  it. 

The  night  grew  chillier.  The  great  stars  re 
mained  pale  and  cold,  and  the  forest  continued  to 
whine,  as  that  strange,  wandering  breeze  slipped 
through  the  leaves.  Francisco  Alvarez  of  the  sunny 
plains  wished  that  it  would  stop.  It  got  upon  his 
nerves,  and  the  feeling  it  gave  him  was  singularly  like 
that  of  an  evil  conscience.  He  saw  his  men  fall  to 
sleep  one  by  one,  and  he  heard  their  heavy  breathing. 
Braxton  Wyatt  also  wrapped  himself  in  his  blanket 
and  soon  slumbered.  The  fire  sank,  the  coals 
crumbled,  and  with  soft  little  hisses,  fell  together. 
The  circling  rim  of  darkness  crept  up  closer  and 
closer,  and  the  trunks  of  the  trees  became  ghostly  in 
the  shadows. 

Alvarez  saw  his  sentinels  at  either  side  of  the 
camp,  to  right  and  left,  walking  back  and  forth,  and 
he  knew  also  that  they  would  watch  well.  Time 
passed.  The  night  darkened  and  then  a  wan  moon 
came  out,  casting  a  ghostly,  gray  shadow  over  the 
measureless  black  forest.  The  great  stars,  pale  and 
cold,  danced  in  a  dusky  blue.  Faint  moans  came 
out  of  the  depths  of  the  wilderness,  as  a  stray  wind 
wandered  here  and  there  among  the  leaves.  Fran 
cisco  Alvarez,  resolute  and  self  contained  though  he 
was,  could  not  sleep.  He  had  taken  a  bold  step  in 
holding  the  messenger  of  peace,  and,  although  one 
might  do  much  a  thousand  wilderness  miles  from  the 
seat  of  his  authority,  he  was  nevertheless  anxious  to 

33 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

have  the  full  support  of  Bernardo  Galvez,  the  Span 
ish  governor  of  Louisiana. 

Royalist  to  the  marrow,  he  wished  the  colonists  to 
be  defeated  by  their  mother  country,  and  he  wished, 
moreover,  that  Spain  might  make  secure  a  title  to 
all  the  immense  regions  in  the  valley.  If  he  could 
skillfully  commit  Spain  to  a  quarrel  with  the  settlers 
much  might  be  done  for  the  cause  in  which  his  heart 
was  enlisted.  He  foresaw  the  truth  of  Paul's  warn 
ing  that  in  a  little  while  nothing  could  uproot  the 
settlers  in  Kentucky.  A  blow  at  them,  if  it  would 
destroy,  must  fall  quickly,  and  he  meant  that  the  blow 
should  be  given. 

His  anxiety  weighed  heavily  upon  him  and  the 
wilderness  at  night  grew  more  uncanny.  Sleep  re 
fused  to  come.  The  coals  sank  lower.  One  by  one 
they  gleamed  with  the  last  fitful  sparks  of  dying  fire 
and  then  went  out.  The  two  sentinels,  one  to  the 
right  and  one  to  the  left,  had  sat  down  now  upon 
fallen  logs,  but  Alvarez  knew  that  they  were  still 
watching  with  care  —  they  would  not  dare  to  do 
otherwise.  All  the  rest  but  Alvarez  slept. 

The  Spaniard  looked  at  Braxton  Wyatt  as  he  lay 
in  his  blanket,  one  arm  under  his  head,  and  his  lip 
curled.  He  despised  him,  and  yet  he  could  be  very 
useful.  He  would  have  to  work  with  him  and  he 
must  treat  him  at  least  with  superficial  politeness. 
Then  he  looked  at  the  prisoner.  Paul,  too,  slept 
soundly,  his  fine  face  thrown  into  relief  in  the  wan 
moonlight,  every  sensitive  feature  revealed.  Alvarez 
wondered  again  that  he  should  find  a  youth  of  such 

34 


A  FOREST  ENVOY 

classic  countenance  and  cultivated  mind  in  the  deep 
forest. 

The  wandering  breeze  ceased,  and  the  wilderness 
fell  into  a  silence  so  deep  and  heavy  that  it  preyed 
upon  the  nerves  of  the  Spaniard.  Then,  out  of  the 
stillness  came  a  long,  plaintive  note,  wailing,  but  musi 
cal,  full  of  a  quality  that  made  it  seem  to  Alvarez 
weird  and  ominous. 

"  Only  the  howl  of  a  wolf,"  muttered  the  Span 
iard,  who  recognized  the  long-drawn  cry.  But  it 
made  him  shiver  a  little,  nevertheless.  He  alone  was 
awake,  except  the  sentinels,  and  he  felt  like  a  tiny, 
lost  speck  in  all  the  vast  wilderness.  A  second  time 
came  the  cry  of  the  wolf,  and  then  it  was  repeated 
a  third  and  a  fourth  time.  After  the  fourth  it 
ceased. 

The  four  cries  were  so  distinct,  so  equal  in  length, 
and  repeated  at  such  regular  intervals  that  they 
seemed  to  Francisco  Alvarez  like  set  notes.  He 
listened  intently,  but  they  did  not  come  again.  He 
glanced  at  the  prisoner  but  Paul  had  not  stirred, 
the  moon's  rays  illuminating  his  face  with  a  pale 
light.  The  renegade,  too,  slept  soundly. 

Alvarez  wrapped  himself  in  his  blanket  after  the 
fashion  of  the  others,  and  lay  down,  but  still  sleep 
would  not  come.  He  knew  that  it  was  far  in  the 
night  and  he  wished  to  be  rested  and  fresh  for  the 
next  day,  but  he  lay  awake,  nevertheless.  A  half 
hour  passed,  and  then  came  that  plaintive  cry  of  the 
wolf  again.  As  before,  it  seemed  to  be  wonderfully 
distinct  and  full  of  character,  but  it  was  nearer  now. 

35 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Francisco  Alvarez  raised  himself  on  his  elbow,  and 
heard  it  a  second  and  then  a  third  and  fourth  time. 
After  that  only  the  heavy  silence  of  the  forest. 

'  The  same  as  before,"  murmured  the  Spaniard  to 
himself.  "  The  wolf  howled  four  times.  What  a 
coincidence!  Bah,  I'm  becoming  a  superstitious 
fool !  " 

He  resolutely  closed  his  eyes  and  sought  slumber 
once  more.  It  was  far  past  midnight  now,  and 
weary  nature  began  at  last  her  task.  His  nerves 
were  soothed.  A  soft  breeze  fanned  his  eyelids  with 
drowsy  wing,  the  forest  wavered,  swam  away,  and 
he  slept. 

Red  dawn  was  coming  when  Francisco  Alvarez 
awoke.  The  fire  was  dead  and  cold,  and  the  men 
around  it  yet  slumbered.  The  two  sentinels,  one  to 
the  right  and  one  to  the  left,  still  sat  on  the  logs, 
backs  toward  him.  He  took  one  glance  to  see  if  the 
prisoner,  too,  slept,  and  then  he  leaped  to  his  feet 
with  a  cry.  The  prisoner  was  not  there !  Nor  was 
he  anywhere  in  the  camp. 

"Up!  up!  you  rascals!"  shouted  the  Spaniard. 
"  The  boy  is  gone !  escaped.  Luiz,  Pedro,  in  what 
manner  have  you  watched!  " 

He  rushed  to  the  sentinel  on  the  right,  Luiz,  and 
struck  him  sharply  across  the  back  with  the  flat  of 
his  sword. 

"  Wretch!  "  he  cried,  "  you  have  slept!  "  and  he 
struck  him  again. 

Luiz  did  not  stir,  even  under  the  sharp  blow.  He 
remained,  sitting  on  the  log,  back  to  his  chief,  shoul- 

36 


A  FOREST  ENVOY 

ders  bent  forward,  as  if  he  were  in  a  slumber  too 
profound  to  be  disturbed  by  anything  short  of  a 
crash  of  thunder  in  his  ear.  Alvarez,  furious  with 
anger,  seized  him  by  the  shoulder  and  dragged  him 
back.  Then  he  uttered  another  cry,  in  which  rage 
and  surprise  were  mingled  in  equal  portions.  But 
Luiz,  the  sentinel,  still  said  nothing.  He  could  not. 
A  gag  was  fixed  firmly  in  his  mouth,  his  arms  were 
bound  to  his  side,  his  legs  to  the  tree  on  which  he 
sat,  and  his  rifle  had  been  left  standing  between  his 
knees  and  against  his  shoulder,  as  if  held  by  one  who 
watched. 

The  unfortunate  sentinel  gazed  up  at  his  chief 
with  wide-open,  appealing  eyes,  and,  leaving  him 
with  the  men,  who  were  now  crowding  around  he  ran 
to  the  other  sentinel,  Pedro,  only  to  find  him  gagged 
and  bound,  exactly  like  his  comrade.  It  was  some 
minutes  before  either  could  speak,  after  they  were 
cut  loose  and  their  gags  removed,  and  then  their 
tales  were  the  same. 

14  I  watched,  I  watched  well,  Captain,"  said  Luiz, 
u  by  the  Holy  Virgin  I  swear  it!  Never  in  this 
whole  terrible  night,  not  for  a  moment,  have  my 
eyes  closed.  I  saw  nothing,  I  heard  nothing  but  a 
wolf  howling  in  the  forest,  and  then,  long  after  mid 
night,  I  was  suddenly  seized  from  behind  by  power 
ful  hands.  I  could  not  move,  so  strong  were  they. 
I  was  gagged  and  bound  and  I  could  see  only  the 
phantom  figures  of  the  men  who  did  it.  I  know  no 


more." 


Pedro,  with  many  supplications,  repeated  the  tale, 
37 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

and  Francisco  Alvarez  was  forced  to  believe  them, 
although  he  cursed  them  for  carelessness,  and  prom 
ised  them  punishment.  Braxton  Wyatt  had  re 
mained  silent,  although  his  face  showed  deep  dis 
appointment.  Presently,  when  the  turmoil  had  died 
down,  he  said  in  a  low  voice  to  Alvarez : 

"  What  was  it  that  the  sentinel  said  about  hearing 
the  howl  of  a  wolf?  " 

"  I  heard  it  myself,"  replied  Alvarez.  "  It  was 
about  midnight,  when  a  wolf  to  the  north  howled 
four  times.  An  hour  or  so  later  I  heard  it  again, 
somewhat  nearer  and  somewhat  to  the  west,  when  it 
howled  four  times  as  before." 

"  Ah!  "  said  Braxton  Wyatt. 

It  was  a  short  exclamation,  but  it  was  so  full  of 
significance  that  the  Spaniard  in  surprise,  asked  him 
what  he  meant. 

"  Four  cries,"  replied  the  renegade,  "  and  he  had 
four  friends,  of  whom  I  told  you  to  beware.  I  told 
you  what  they  were,  what  cunning  and  skill  they 
have,  but  you  would  not  believe  me  and  you  must 
now!  Cotter  heard  the  four  cries.  He  was  not 
asleep  and  he  understood !  " 

Braxton  Wyatt,  despite  his  annoyance  at  Paul's 
escape,  felt  a  moment  of  triumph.  His  warning  had 
come  true.  He  had  been  wiser  than  this  Spaniard 
who  had  patronized  and  insulted  him. 

"  We  will  deal  with  these  people  yet,"  said  Fran 
cisco  Alvarez  angrily  as  he  turned  away. 

"  I  hope  so,"  replied  Braxton  Wyatt. 


CHAPTER  III 

AN    INVISIBLE    CHASE 

DEEP  in  a  shadowed  glade  sat  the  five,  eating 
a  quiet  breakfast,  and  talking  in  low  tones 
of  satisfaction. 

"  I  knew  that  you  would  come,"  said  Paul,  "  and 
when  I  heard  the  four  cries  of  the  wolf  I  knew,  too, 
that  all  four  of  you  were  there.  When  you  sent  the 
call  Braxton  Wyatt,  who  alone  might  have  suspected, 
was  asleep.  The  Spanish  commander  was  awake, 
and  he  was  troubled,  but  he  did  not  know  why." 

''  Wa'al,  I  guess  he  knows  now,"  said  Shif'less 
Sol  with  a  silent  but  deep  laugh.  "  Ef  he's  the  kind 
o'  man  you  say  he  is,  Paul,  an'  I  guess  he  is  —  he 
needed  our  teachin'  him  a  lesson.  I  hate  a  man  who 
knows  too  much,  who  is  too  almighty  certain,  an'  I 
guess  the  Spaniard  is  one  o'  that  kind.  Think  o' 
him  comin'  out  here  in  the  woods,  breakin'  faith,  so 
to  speak,  an'  holdin'  you,  Paul.  Ef  I  wuz  to  go  over 
to  Europe,  which  I  ain't  ever  goin'  to  do  —  an'  wuz 
to  light  down  in  one  o'  them  big  cities,  Paris  or  Lon 
don,  do  you  think  I'd  tell  the  fellers  in  the  streets 
that  I  knowed  more  about  their  town  than  they 
did?" 

u  No,  Sol,"  said  Paul,  "  you're  too  wise  a  man 
ever  to  do  such  a  thing." 

39 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  I  should  hope  I  wuz,"  said  Sol  emphatically. 
"  Jest  think  o'  me  stoppin'  a  lot  o'  French  fellers  in 
the  streets  o'  Paris,  me  jest  happened  in  from  the 
woods  fur  the  fust  time,  an'  sayin'  to  them :  *  Here, 
Bob,  be  keerful  how  you  cross  the  street  thar,  it's  a 
right  bad  spot  fur  wagons,  an*  you'd  shorely  git  run 
over  ef  you  tried  it,'  or  '  Now,  Dick,  that  thar  is 
the  wrong  street  that  you're  takin',  ef  you  foller  it 
you'll  land  a  full  mile  from  your  cabin.'  ' 

"  But  Frenchmen  are  not  named  Bob  and  Dick," 
said  Paul  with  a  smile. 

"  Wa'al  ef  they  ain't  they  ought  to  be,"  said  the 
shiftless  one  with  conviction.  "  Why  they  want  to 
call  theirselves  by  all  them  long  names  nobody  can 
pronounce,  when  there  are  a  lot  o'  good,  nice,  short, 
handy  names  like  Dick,  an'  Jim,  an'  Bill,  an'  Bob,  an' 
Hank,  layin'  'roun'  loose  an'  jest  beggin'  to  be  used, 
is  more'n  I  kin  understand." 

"  We  must  soon  decide  what  to  do,"  said  Henry. 
"  If  the  Spanish  captain  concludes  to  help  the  In' 
dians,  and  with  Braxton  Wyatt  at  his  elbow  I  think 
he  is  likely  to  do  it,  our  people  in  Kentucky  will 
again  be  in  great  danger.  We  must  drive  the  Span 
iards  back  to  New  Orleans." 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  said  Paul,  "  but  how  is  it  to 
be  done?" 

"  Mebbe  we  kin  shoo  'em  back,  skeer  'em,  so  to 
speak,"  said  Shif'less  Sol.  "We're  jest  bound  to 
keep  Spain  out  o'  this  country." 

"  It  is  true,"  said  Paul.  "  Great  things  grow  out 
of  little  ones.  Such  a  land  as  this  is  sure  to  have  a 

40 


AN  INVISIBLE  CHASE 

great  population  some  day  and  what  we  five  do  now, 
obscure  and  few  as  we  are,  may  help  to  decide  what 
that  population  is  to  be." 

As  Paul  spoke,  his  comrades  and  the  shadowed 
glen  floated  away,  and  the  look  of  seer  came  upon 
him.  Again  he  saw  great  towns  and  a  nation.  The 
others  regarded  him  with  a  little  awe.  The  spiritual, 
or  rather  prophetic,  quality  in  Paul  always  had  their 
deep  respect. 

"  Paul  shorely  does  take  mighty  long  looks 
ahead,"  whispered  Shif'less  Sol  to  Henry,  "  an' 
sometimes  I  can't  follow  him  clean  to  the  end.  I 
mostly  drop  by  the  way.  I  like  to  live  this  very  min 
ute,  an'  I'm  pow'ful  glad  to  be  alive  right  now.  But 
I'm  with  him  clean  to  the  finish  o'  our  big  job." 

Henry  nodded  and  presently  he  and  the  shiftless 
one  went  away  through  the  woods.  Paul,  Ross,  and 
Long  Jim  remained  lying  at  ease  in  the  forest  — 
Paul  had  learned  the  great  wilderness  lesson  of  pa 
tience  —  and  about  noon  the  two  returned.  They 
had  been  spying  upon  the  Spanish  camp,  and  they 
reported  that  Alvarez  and  his  men  had  not  moved. 

"  They  seem  to  be  waiting  for  something,"  said 
Henry.  "  Braxton  Wyatt  is  still  with  them,  and 
they  have  posted  more  sentinels  in  a  wider  circle.  I 
don't  believe  they  will  move  camp  for  several  days. 
So  long  as  they  keep  theirs  there,  we'll  keep  ours 
here." 

"  O'  course,"  said  the  shiftless  one.  '*  We  must 
keep  the  watch." 

Several  days  passed  and  there  was  little  to  do. 
41 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

One  or  another  of  the  five  at  times  crept  close  to  the 
Spanish  camp,  ^nd  always  reported  that  the  men 
there  were  lounging  at  their  ease  and  still  waiting. 
Now  and  then  the  Spaniards  hunted  in  detachments, 
usually  guided  by  Braxton  Wyatt,  and  brought  in 
both  deer  and  buffalo.  On  the  fourth  day  Henry 
and  Paul  also  went  hunting. 

"  The  country  west  of  here,"  said  Henry,  "  opens 
out  into  a  big  prairie,  and  we  may  see  something 
worth  seeing." 

Paul  did  not  ask  what  it  was,  content  to  go  and 
see,  and  the  two,  rifle  on  shoulder,  slipped  away 
through  the  woods,  taking  a  direct,  western  course. 

Paul  noticed  that  the  country  soon  became  much 
less  hilly,  and  that  the  forest  thinned.  After  a  while 
hills  and  forest  ceased  altogether  and  the  two  stood 
upon  the  edge  of  a  wide  sweep  of  gently  rolling,  open 
country,  extending  so  far  that  it  met  the  horizon. 

"  Look,"  said  Henry.     "  A  great  prairie!  " 

"  And  look  what's  on  it!  "  exclaimed  Paul. 

Henry  laughed  and  glanced  at  his  comrade's 
pleased  face.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  the 
prairie  was  covered  with  a  multitude  of  great,  dark 
animals,  grazing  on  the  short,  sweet  grass.  Near 
by  these  animals,  as  Paul  saw,  were  a  few  feet  apart, 
but  further  on  they  seemed  to  blend  into  one  solid, 
black,  but  heaving  mass. 

"  A  real  buffalo  herd,"  said  Henry. 

Paul  had  seen  buffaloes  often  in  Kentucky,  but 
there  they  were  usually  in  small  groups  of  a  dozen  or 
so,  owing  to  the  wooded  nature  of  the  country,  and 

42 


AN  INVISIBLE  CHASE 

now  he  looked  for  the  first  time  upon  a  great  herd, 
twenty  thousand,  thirty  thousand,  maybe  more  —  one 
could  not  calculate.  The  spectacle  appealed  greatly 
to  his  imaginative  temperament. 

"  What  a  grand  sight!  "  he  said. 
'  Yes,"  said  Henry,  "  it  is  wonderful,  but,  Paul, 
this  is  nothing  to  what  you  can  see  on  the  great  plains. 
When  I  was  a  captive  with  the  northwestern  Indians 
I've  seen  a  herd  that  was  passing  our  party  all  day, 
and  it  was  also  so  wide  you  could  not  see  across  it." 

They  stood  there  some  time  looking.  The  huge, 
savage  bulls  were  on  the  outskirts  of  the  herd,  and 
just  beyond  them  at  the  fringe  of  the  forest  were 
snarling  timber  wolves,  waiting  for  a  chance  to  drag 
down  some  careless  calf,  or  a  bull  weakened  to  the 
last  degree  by  old  age. 

As  the  two  youths  looked  they  heard  a  shot  and 
saw  a  movement  among  the  buffaloes.  Another  shot 
followed  and  then  a  half  dozen.  The  portion  of  the 
herd  near  by  seemed  suddenly  to  contract  and  to 
roll  in  upon  itself.  The  waiting  wolves  disappeared 
in  the  woods,  and  snorts  of  terror  arose  from  the 
herd. 

"  There  they  are !  I  see  them !  "  exclaimed  Paul. 
"  It  is  the  Spaniards,  sure  enough !  " 

Five  or  six  men  in  the  Spanish  military  attire 
burst  from  the  forest,  not  more  than  a  hundred  yards 
away,  and  continued  to  fire  as  fast  as  they  could  into 
the  herd. 

u  How  foolish !  "  exclaimed  Henry.  "  Either 
they  are  wasting  their  shots  or  if  they  don't  waste 

43 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

them  they  are  killing  far  more  buffaloes  than  they  can 
use!" 

The  boys  withdrew  into  a  thicket,  as  they  did  not 
wish  to  be  seen  by  the  Spaniards,  and  watched  closely. 
The  soldiers  continued  to  reload  and  fire  and  uttered 
shouts  of  joy  whenever  a  buffalo  fell.  Transported 
by  excitement  they  scattered,  and  one  man  ran  down 
near  Paul  and  Henry,  detaching  himself  uncon 
sciously  from  the  rest  of  his  comrades. 

This  Spaniard  was  young  and  athletic,  and  he  fired 
at  a  huge  bull.  Had  he  been  an  experienced  hunter, 
he  would  have  known  better,  as  the  bull  was  too  big 
and  tough  to  eat,  and  he  was  also  one  of  the  savage 
guardians  of  the  herd.  Moreover,  the  Spaniards 
were  armed  mostly  with  muskets,  a  weapon  far  in 
ferior  to  the  Kentucky  rifle. 

The  great  bull  stung  in  the  flank,  but  stung  only, 
uttered  a  roar  of  pain,  and,  sharp  horns  down, 
charged  directly  upon  the  young  Spaniard.  He  was 
a  terrifying  sight  as  he  tore  up  the  grass  of  the 
prairie,  his  red  eyes  flaming.  The  Spaniard,  ap 
palled,  dropped  his  musket  and  ran  for  the  woods, 
the  great  beast  thundering  at  his  heels,  and  his  hot 
breath,  in  fancy  at  least,  upon  his  back.  Both  Paul 
and  Henry  at  that  instant  recognized  him.  It  was 
one  of  the  unfortunate  sentinels,  Luiz. 

"  I'll  save  him,"  said  Henry,  "  but  keep  back, 
Paul !  Don't  let  him  see  you !  " 

The  Spaniard  was  about  to  reach  the  edge  of  the 
wood,  but  another  jump  would  bring  the  raging 
buffalo  upon  him.  His  foot  caught  among  some 

44 


AN  INVISIBLE  CHASE 

roots  and  with  a  despairing  cry  he  fell  upon  his  face. 
But  as  he  struck  the  ground  there  was  a  sharp,  lash 
ing  report,  far  different  from  the  dull  boom  of  a 
musket,  and  the  great  animal  suddenly  ploughed  for 
ward  on  his  head.  So  violent  was  his  plunge,  as  he 
was  stricken  in  mid-charge,  that  his  neck  was  broken, 
and,  after  his  crashing  fall,  he  lay  quite  still. 

The  young  Spaniard,  Luiz,  sprang  to  his  feet  un 
harmed,  and  he  was  confronted  by  a  figure  that  start 
led  him,  the  figure  of  a  very  tall  and  powerful  youth, 
clad  wholly  in  deerskin,  leaning  on  a  long,  slender 
barreled  Kentucky  rifle,  and  looking  at  him  contem 
platively.  So  sudden  was  his  appearance  and  so  fixed 
his  gaze  that  Luiz,  although  joyful  over  his  escape 
from  death,  was  startled  and  awed.  His  adventure 
of  a  few  nights  before  when  he  was  seized,  bound, 
and  gagged  by  unseen  but  powerful  hands  had  left 
him  shaken,  and  now  his  brain  was  whirling. 

The  young  Spaniard  stared  at  the  figure,  which 
neither  moved  nor  spoke,  but  which  returned  his  gaze 
with  a  fixed  look.  Was  it  a  spirit,  or  was  it  really  one 
of  the  Americans?  But  whatever  it  was,  it  had,  be 
yond  a  doubt,  saved  his  life,  and  deep  down  in  his 
Spanish  heart  he  was  not  ungrateful. 

"Thanks,  Serior!  "  he  stammered.  "Your  shot 
—  it  came  just  in  time !  " 

The  apparition  spoke,  but  only  a  few  words. 

"  We  are  your  friends,  not  your  enemies,  don't  for 
get,"  it  said,  and  the  startled  Luiz  rubbed  his  eyes. 
The  figure  of  the  great  youth  was  gone.  It  had  been 
there  and  then  it  was  not  there,  and  only  some  bushes, 

45 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

waving  slightly,  told  where  it  had  been.  He  re 
gained  his  musket,  and,  still  bewildered,  rejoined  his 
comrades  to  tell  them  a  story  that  they  did  not  more 
than  half  believe. 

Henry,  laughing  a  little,  returned  to  Paul.  It  had 
been  a  simple  trick.  He  had  merely  darted  away 
among  the  bushes,  while  Luiz  was  still  in  a  daze. 

"  I  did  not  want  to  see  the  man  killed,"  he  said, 
"  and  maybe  we  have  sowed  a  good  seed,  that  will 
grow  up  in  time,  and  produce  something." 

"  It  may  be,"  added  Paul. 

They  went  a  little  farther  into  the  forest  and 
watched  the  Spaniards  finish  their  hunt,  gather  up  as 
much  of  their  game  as  they  could  carry,  and  depart. 
When  they  were  well  out  of  sight,  Henry  and 
Paul  went  to  a  slain  cow  that  the  soldiers  had  neg 
lected,  cut  out  some  of  the  choicest  portions,  and  took 
the  way  to  their  own  camp. 

"  I  think  the  Spaniards  are  likely  to  be  disturbed 
over  what  has  happened,"  said  Henry. 

In  fact,  the  shiftless  one,  who  was  the  scout  the 
following  night,  returned  with  a  story  that  the  Span 
ish  camp  was  greatly  agitated.  Braxton  Wyatt  and 
Alvarez  were  positive  that  the  five  were  still  linger 
ing  somewhere  near,  but  the  uneducated  soldiers  were 
not  sure  that  a  spirit  was  not  lurking  in  the  wilder 
ness.  It  might  be  a  beneficent  spirit,  as  it  had  saved 
Luiz,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  had  taken  away  the 
American  prisoner,  and  they  were  afraid  of  the  un 
known  and  mysterious.  These  vast,  dark  woods 
were  so  different  from  the  open  and  sunny  plains  of 


AN  INVISIBLE  CHASE 

Spain,  where  a  man  knew  what  to  expect,  that  they 
were  inspired  with  awe. 

Yet  Alvarez  would  not  move,  so  Shif'less  Sol  re 
ported.  He  seemed  to  be  still  waiting  for  something, 
and  on  the  following  night  Henry,  Paul,  and  Shif'less 
Sol  went  forth  to  watch  the  Spanish  camp  again. 

"  I've  a  feelin'  in  me,"  said  the  shiftless  one,  "  that 
somethin'  is  goin'  to  happen  to-night.  I  often  have 
these  feelin's,  omens  some  people  call  'em,  min'- 
readin'  other  people  say.  I  notice  that  I  gena'lly 
have  'em  jest  about  when  all  the  circumstances  show 
that  things  are  comin'  to  a  head,  jest  ez  ef  Paul  here 
wuz  to  feel  along  about  6  or  7  o'clock  in  the  after 
noon  that  sundown  couldn't  be  fur  away.  You  can't 
beat  it.  Now  when  I've  gone  fifteen  or  eighteen 
hours  without  food  I  have  a  feelin' —  an'  it's  a  strong 
one,  too  —  that  I'm  goin'  to  be  hungry,  an'  I'm 
sca'cely  ever  mistook,  jest  ez  I've  got  a  feelin'  when 
the  skies  are  filled  with  big  black  clouds  that  it's 
liable  to  rain  purty  soon.  I  tell  you,  Paul,  it's  a  great 
thing  to  have  this  here  power  you  call  second  sight." 

The  three  walked  steadily  on  in  Indian  file  through 
the  forest,  their  trained  feet  making  no  sound  among 
the  trunks  and  brushes.  The  night  was  dark,  just 
suited  to  their  purpose,  and  clouds  floated  up  to  dim 
the  skies.  No  stars  came  out,  and  the  moon  was  hid 
den.  By  and  bye  the  wind  rose,  and  dashes  of  rain 
were  whipped  into  their  faces. 

But  the  three  did  not  mind.  Such  things  as  these 
had  become  trifles  to  them  long  since.  Henry  led 
with  sure  step,  Shif'less  Sol  came  next,  and  Paul 

47 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

brought  up  the  rear.  Henry  stopped  after  a  while, 
and  sank  down  among  the  bushes.  The  other  two 
did  likewise,  and,  after  a  little  pause  in  which  they 
heard  nothing,  they  began  to  creep  forward,  taking 
the  utmost  care  to  make  not  even  the  slightest  sound. 
They  saw  presently  through  the  trees  and  bushes  a 
faint  red  shade  that  grew  fast  to  a  glow  and  then  to 
a  glare. 

Henry  stopped,  sank  lower,  and  beckoned  to  his 
comrades.  They  crept  to  his  side  and  looked  over 
a  steep  little  cliff  directly  upon  the  Spanish  camp. 
Most  of  the  soldiers  were  grouped  about  a  large 
camp  fire,  and  Francisco  Alvarez  was  among  them 
in  a  place  of  honor. 

Hidden  in  the  deep  shrubbery  the  three  occupied 
points  of  vantage,  and,  while  secure  from  observation 
themselves,  they  could  easily  see  all  that  passed  in 
the  glade.  Several  tents  had  been  set,  although  the 
flaps  were  wide  open  and  within  one  of  these  sat 
Francisco  Alvarez  in  all  the  gorgeous  attire  of  a 
Spanish  officer,  most  fastidious  in  his  taste.  The 
gold  on  his  uniform  glittered,  the  lace  on  his  cuffs 
was  snowy  and  fresh,  and  the  polished  hilt  of  his 
small  sword  gleamed  in  the  firelight.  He  had  the  air 
of  one  who  expected  distinguished  guests. 

"  Now  I  wonder  what  has  become  of  Braxton 
Wyatt,"  whispered  Paul.  Nowhere  could  he  see  a 
sign  of  the  renegade. 

"  He  is  coming/'  whispered  Henry,  who  had  what 
Shif'less  Sol  would  have  called  an  intuition. 

Two  of  the  Spaniards  heaped  more  wood  upon  the 

48 


AN  INVISIBLE  CHASE 

fire.  The  logs  crackled  and  blazed  merrily,  casting 
long  tongues  of  flame  across  the  glade,  and  sending 
a  grateful  heat  into  the  veins  of  the  warm-blooded 
Southerners.  The  flurries  of  rain  ceased,  and  the 
skies  brightened  a  little.  A  star  or  two  peeped  out. 

"Ah!"  said  Henry  in  the  lowest  of  whispers, 
"  here  they  come !  " 

The  bushes  at  the  far  side  of  the  glade  parted 
and  three  figures  came  into  the  open.  They  took  but 
two  or  three  steps  forward  and  then  stopped  full  in 
the  blaze  of  the  firelight,  where  every  feature  showed 
like  carving  in  the  red  glow. 

The  hidden  watchers  recognized  at  once  the  three 
who  had  come.  They  were  Braxton  Wyatt,  Yellow 
Panther  the  Miami  chief,  and  Red  Eagle  the  Shaw- 
nee  chief.  Paul  repressed  a  little  cry  of  amazement 
that  he  should  see  the  two  Indian  leaders  so  far  from 
the  territory  of  their  tribes.  They  must  intend  much 
to  come  such  a  journey. 

Braxton  Wyatt  stepped  back  a  little,  as  if  having 
performed  his  function  of  guide  he  would  now  remain 
awhile  in  the  background,  but  the  two  great  chiefs 
stood  motionless,  side  by  side,  magnificent  specimens 
of  savage  life,  bronze  of  skin,  tall  of  figure,  powerful 
of  chest,  thin,  eagle-like  faces,  and  defiant  scalp-locks 
waving  above.  The  imaginative  Paul,  seeing  how 
well  they  fitted  into  the  wilderness  scene,  was  forced 
to  admire.  The  fuelight  flickered  and  blazed  over 
them,  but  they  were  immovable  in  all  their  savage 
dignity.  Henry  put  his  hand  upon  Paul's  shoulder, 
and  pressed  gently.  It  was  an  intimation  to  look 

49 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

with  all  his  eyes  and  listen  with  all  attention.  But 
Paul  did  not  need  the  hint. 

Francisco  Alvarez  also  was  impressed.  He  loved 
the  towns  and  luxury,  but  he  had  acuteness  and  per 
ception,  and  he  knew  that  these  were  strong  men  of 
their  kind,  men  with  whom  he  must  deal  according 
to  the  courtesy  of  the  woods.  He  rose  from  his  tent, 
bowed  to  them,  and  walked  forward.  He  himself 
was  a  splendid  figure  in  his  gorgeous  uniform,  and 
his  carriage  was  marked  by  dignity. 

"  Now  see  them  salute,"  whispered  the  shiftless 
one  in  Paul's  ear. 

Braxton  Wyatt  stepped  forward  again,  produced 
a  pipe  with  a  beautifully  carved  horn  handle,  and 
filled  it  carefully  with  tobacco,  which  he  lighted  with 
a  coal  from  the  fire.  Then  he  handed  it  to  Red 
Eagle,  who  was  the  older  of  the  chiefs,  and  Red 
Eagle  gravely  took  a  half  dozen  whiffs.  Then  he 
passed  it  to  Yellow  Panther,  who  did  likewise,  and 
the  chief  in  his  turn  handed  it  to  the  Spanish  com 
mander.  Alvarez  smoked  gravely  for  a  half  minute, 
and  then  Braxton  Wyatt  took  the  pipe. 

"  Now  for  the  big  confab,"  whispered  Sol. 

Fine  buffalo  robes  were  spread  before  the  fire,  and 
the  three  leaders  and  Braxton  Wyatt  sat  upon  them. 
All  others  kept  at  a  respectful  distance.  The  four 
began  to  talk  and,  although  only  an  occasional  word 
reached  the  watching  three,  they  knew  too  well  their 
subject  of  converse.  It  was  the  great  conspiracy  to 
draw  the  Spanish  from  Louisiana  into  an  attack  upon 
the  infant  settlements,  upon  the  ground  that  they 

50 


AN  INVISIBLE  CHASE 

were  or  would  be  interlopers.  It  was  cannon  that  the 
assailants  needed  to  smash  the  block  houses,  and 
cannon  in  abundance  could  be  brought  on  the  great 
rivers  from  New  Orleans. 

The  watchers  presently  saw  Braxton  Wyatt  take  a 
small  parcel  from  the  inside  of  his  deerskin  hunting 
shirt.  He  unfolded  the  parcel  and  the  watchers  could 
see  that  it  consisted  of  large  pieces  of  the  finest, 
tanned  deerskin. 

"  Maps,"  said  Paul  intuitively.  "  That  scoundrel, 
Braxton  Wyatt,  has  made  them  for  the  aid  of  the 
Spanish,  and  to  disclose  all  our  weak  points!  " 

The  fire  blazed  higher  and  they  could  see  that  on 
the  white  deerskin  were  drawn  lines  in  colored  pig 
ment,  and  the  rest  they  guessed.  It  was  true  enough. 
Braxton  Wyatt,  no  mean  draughtsman,  had  drawn, 
with  the  most  elaborate  care  and  attention  to  detail, 
maps  on  a  large  scale  of  every  one  of  the  infant  set 
tlements.  There  was  nothing  about  Wareville  in 
particular  that  he  did  not  show,  and  he  also  desig 
nated  all  the  rivers,  hills,  and  valleys  as  far  as  they 
were  known.  With  such  aid  a  Spanish  force,  backed 
by  cannon  and  the  warriors,  must  triumph  over  every 
post  in  Kentucky. 

"  I  never  thought  of  this,"  whispered  Paul. 
Henry  merely  pressed  his  shoulder  again  to  indicate 
that  they  were  ready  to  deal  with  it,  if  man  could. 

The  three  watchers  remained  there  more  than  an 
hour,  and  Alvarez,  Wyatt,  and  the  chiefs  still  dis 
cussed  the  maps  with  every  appearance  of  agreement, 
bending  their  heads  over  them,  and  now  and  then 

51 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

disclosing  eager  faces,  as  they  lifted  them  in  the  fire 
light. 

"  Alvarez  wants  to  help  them,"  whispered  Paul. 
"  He  hates  us,  and,  if  he  can,  he  will  commit  the 
Governor  of  Louisiana  to  the  Indian  alliance." 

"  Beyond  a  doubt,"  replied  Henry,  "  and  so  it's 
not  worth  while  for  us  to  wait  here  any  longer." 

They  slid  away  in  the  dark  and  returned  to  their 
own  camp.  There  Long  Jim  and  Tom  Ross  were 
placidly  awaiting  them,  and  they  were  not  at  all  sur 
prised  at  the  news.  Then  the  five  held  another  of 
their  conferences. 

"  I  think  it  likely,"  said  Paul,  "  that  Alvarez  will 
go  back  at  once  to  New  Orleans.  He  will  tell  the 
Governor  there  that  armed  bands  of  Americans  are 
trespassing  upon  Spanish  territory  and  that  they  must 
be  driven  off.  He  will  come  back  with  cannon  and 
a  powerful  force  to  do  the  driving.  That  means 
war,  of  course,  and  an  attack  upon  us  in  Kentucky. 
How  will  the  Governor  of  New  Orleans  know 
whether  the  fighting  is  on  Spanish  territory  or  not? 
And  even  if  Alvarez  overstepped  the  limits  he  could 
say  that  he  was  attacked  first." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Henry,  "  and  it  means  that  we 
must  follow  Alvarez  all  the  way  to  New  Orleans  if 
necessary,  and  it  may  be  that  we  shall  have  to  carry 
the  message  of  the  Kentuckians  to  Bernardo  Galvez, 
the  Spanish  Governor  General  himself." 

"We're  ready,"  said  Shifless  Sol  lazily.  "I 
wouldn't  mind  seein'  that  furrin  town.  I  saw  a  town 
once  when  I  wuz  a  little  boy.  It  wuz  Baltimore,  an' 

52 


AN  INVISIBLE  CHASE 

a  pow'ful  big  place  it  wuz,  most  nigh  set  my  head  to 
swimmin'.  I  heard  tell  that  ez  many  ez  eight  or 
ten  thousand  people  lived  thar.  Sounds  impossible 
but  some  o'  'em  swore  it  wuz  true." 

"  We'll  prepare  at  once  for  the  journey,"  said 
Henry. 

All  set  to  work. 


CHAPTER  IV 

TAKING   A    "  GALLEON  " 

HENRY  and  Shi  f 'less  Sol  spied  upon  the  Span, 
ish  camp  again  the  next  day,  and  returned 
with  news  that  the  two  chiefs  had  departed, 
but  that  Braxton  Wyatt  had  remained,  evidently  in 
tending    to    accompany    Alvarez    to    New    Orleans, 
where  they  were  sure  the  Spanish  leader  now  in 
tended  going. 

"  I  think,  too,"  said  Henry,  "  that  they  will  break 
up  camp  in  the  morning  and  march.  I  believe  that 
they  came  up  on  the  Mississippi,  and  will  return  the 
same  way." 

"  Then  they  have  boats,"  said  Paul  in  dismay, 
"  and  we  have  none." 

"  But  we  can  get  one,"  said  Henry  significantly. 

11  If  you  want  a  thing,  jest  go  an'  git  it,"  said  Shif- 
less  Sol.  "  I  remember  once  when  I  wuz  a  leetle  bit 
o'  a  boy  back  in  the  East,  I  hankered  terribly  after 
some  hickory  nuts  that  I  knowed  wuz  in  a  grove 
about  a  mile  from  our  house.  I  suffered  days  an' 
days  o'  anguish  fur  them  hickory  nuts,  wishin'  mighty 
bad  all  the  time  that  I  had  'em.  At  the  end  o'  two 
weeks  I  walked  over  an'  got  'em,  an'  my  sufferin' 
stopped  off  short." 

54 


TAKING  A  "  GALLEON  ' 

"  That's  just  what  we  mean  to  do  about  our  boat, 
step  over  and  get  it,"  said  Henry  laughing.  But  he 
did  not  divulge  his  plan  and  the  others  were  content 
to  wait  for  the  event. 

As  Henry  had  predicted,  the  Spanish  camp  broke 
up  the  following  morning,  and  Alvarez  and  his  force 
took  up  a  march  almost  due  eastward.  They  traveled 
in  an  easy  fashion,  and  showed  no  signs  of  appre 
hension,  Alvarez  deeming  that  fifty  well-armed  men 
were  not  in  any  danger  from  wandering  tribes.  He 
did  not  know  that  five  resolute  borderers  were  fol 
lowing  closely  behind  him,  even  looking  into  his 
camp  at  night,  and  knowing  every  important  thing 
that  he  did.  Braxton  Wyatt  may  have  suspected  it, 
but  he  said  nothing,  aware  that  it  could  not  be  pre 
vented. 

The  five  were  well  prepared.  They  carried  a  large 
supply  of  ammunition,  a  blanket  each,  and  jerked 
meat.  If  their  food  supplies  gave  out  there  was  the 
forest  swarming  with  game,  and  they  knew  that  it 
swarmed  in  the  same  fashion  all  the  way  down  to 
New  Orleans.  They  would  camp  at  sunset  three 
or  four  miles  from  the  Spaniards,  keeping  watch  the 
night  through,  and  in  the  morning  it  was  easy  enough 
to  take  up  the  trail  of  Alvarez  and  his  men,  which, 
to  their  experienced  eyes,  was  like  a  high  road  lead 
ing  through  the  forest. 

One  evening  just  as  the  sun  was  setting  Henry 
parted  some  twining  bushes  and  looked  over  a  cliff. 
The  others  came  to  his  side  and  they,  too,  looked 
as  he  was  looking. 

55 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

At  their  very  feet  lay  the  mighty  Mississippi. 
They  had  seen  it  before,  but  it  was  never  so  im 
pressive  as  now.  Great  at  any  time  it  was  in  spring 
flood,  rolling  a  vast,  yellow  current  down  toward 
the  Gulf.  The  waters  overflowed  on  the  low,  east 
ern  shore,  and  it  was  so  far  across  that  they  could 
not  see  the  further  bank  in  the  shadowed  evening. 
The  setting  sun,  nevertheless,  lighted  up  the  middle 
of  the  current  with  blood-red  gleams,  and  the  five 
gazed  with  a  certain  awe  at  the  mighty  stream,  as 
it  flowed  ever  onward.  It  was  the  highly  imaginative 
Paul  who  was  impressed  the  most. 

"  We  know  where  it  goes  to,"  he  said,  "  but  I 
wonder  where  it  comes  from." 

Henry  waved  his  hand  vaguely  toward  the  North. 

"  Up  there  somewhere,"  he  said,  "  a  thousand 
miles  from  here,  or  maybe  two  thousand.  Nobody 
can  tell." 

Paul  did  not  say  anything  more,  but  continued  to 
gaze  at  the  vast,  yellow  current  of  the  Mississippi, 
coming  out  of  the  unknown  regions  of  the  far  north 
and  flowing  into  lands  of  the  far  south,  almost  as 
mysterious  and  vague,  once  belonging  to  France  but 
now  owning  the  lordship  of  Spain.  It  was  the 
homely  language  of  Shif'less  Sol  that  recalled  him 
from  his  dreams. 

"  It's  purty  big  out  thar,  an'  looks  ez  if  you 
couldn't  tamper  with  it  —  this  here  river  stands  no 
foolin' — but  do  you  know,  Paul,  water's  pow'ful 
friendly.  It's  always  travelin'  about,  always  on  the 
move.  Land  stands  still,  it's  always  thar,  an'  never 

56 


TAKING  A  "  GALLEON  " 

sees  nothin'  new,  but  water  jest  keeps  a'  movin',  seein' 
new  countries,  here  to-day,  somewhar  else  to-morrow, 
lavin'  new  banks,  breathin'  new  air,  floatin'  peacefully 
on  to  new  people,  gatherin'  in  their  talk  an'  ways. 

"Jest  think!  This  river  comes  out  o'  we  don't 
know  whar,  sees  all  the  wilderness,  whispers  to  the 
bars  and  buffaloes  an'  Injun  tribes  ez  it  goes  by,  takes 
a  look  at  us  standin'  here  on  the  bank,  an',  after  won- 
derin'  what  we're  about,  slips  on  down  hundreds  o' 
miles  to  Louisianny,  gazin'  at  the  French  thar  on  the 
bank  at  New  Orleans,  an'  then  shoots  out  into  the 


sea." 


4  Thar  to  be  lost,"  said  the  unpoetical  Long  Jim. 
"  Not  to  be  lost,  never  to  be  lost,  Jim,"  said  Shif- 
less  Sol  earnestly.  "  That  Missip.  water  is  still  thar 
in  the  sea,  an'  it  goes  slippin'  an'  slidin'  along  with  the 
salt  clean  to  all  them  old  continents.  It  takes  a  look 
in  at  England,  that's  fightin'  us  in  the  East,  an*  if  the 
English  could  understand  the  water's  language  it 
might  tell  'em  a  lot  o'  things  that  wuz  wuth  their 
knowin'.  An'  then  it  goes  on  to  Spain  an'  France  an' 
Germany,  whar  they  talk  all  them  useless  tongues,  an' 
after  a  while  it  takes  a  whirl  clean  'roun'  Africa  an' 
Asia,  an'  sees  goodness  knows  what,  an'  then  goes 
slippin'  off  to  see  islands  in  oceans  that  I  ain't  ever 
heard  tell  on.  Jumpin'  Jehoshaphat  but  ain't  that  a 
movin'  an'  stirrin'  life  fur  ye!  " 

Sol  drew  a  deep  breath  and  Paul  looked  at  him 
with  shining  eyes. 

'  You've  said  a  good  deal  of  what  I  was  thinking, 
Sol,"  he  said,  "  but  for  which  I  couldn't  find  words." 

57 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  We're  likely  to  travel  with  the  river  for  a  while," 
said  Tom  Ross,  "  an'  we  must  purvide  a  way." 

"  We'll  do  it  soon,"  said  Henry. 

They  camped  that  night  in  a  dense  grove  near  the 
bank,  but  they  built  no  fire.  After  midnight  Henry 
and  Shif'less  Sol  slipped  away  and  went  north 
ward. 

"  'Bout  four  miles  on  we'll  strike  them  Spaniards," 
said  the  shiftless  one. 

It  was  a  close  calculation,  as  at  the  end  of  the  four 
miles  they  saw  the  light  of  a  fire  flaring  through  the 
trees  and  bushes  and  knew  that  they  had  come  upon 
Alvarez  and  his  men.  Their  camp  lay  on  rather  low 
ground  beside  a  little  bay  of  the  Mississippi,  and 
the  keen  eyes  of  the  two  woodsmen  saw  at  once  that 
the  force  of  Alvarez  had  been  increased. 

"  He's  got  about  seventy  men  whar  he  had  about 
fifty  afore,"  said  Shif'less  Sol  as  they  crept  nearer. 

"  They  came  on  boats  as  I  thought,"  replied 
Henry,  "  and  he  left  a  detachment  here  with  the 
boats,  while  he  went  across  country.  Maybe  he  was 
on  an  exploring  expedition  or  something  of  that  kind, 
when  Braxton  Wyatt  overtook  him  with  his  prop 


osition." 


Sol  looked  at  Henry  and  Henry  looked  at  Sol.  A 
ray  of  moonlight  fell  upon  their  tanned  and  stern 
faces.  Then  as  they  looked  a  twinkle  appeared  in 
the  eye  of  each.  The  twinkle  deepened  and  the  two 
broke  simultaneously  into  a  soundless  laugh. 

"  We  want  one  of  those  boats,"  said  Henry. 

"  We  shorely  do,"  said  Shif'less  Sol. 

58 


TAKING  A  "  GALLEON  " 

"  We  need  it  in  the  course  of  our  duty,"  said 
Henry. 

"  We  jest  can't  git  along  without  it,"  said  Shif'less 
Sol. 

"  It  will  be  much  easier  floating  down  the  middle 
of  the  Mississippi  in  a  boat  than  it  will  be  walking 
along  the  bank  all  the  way." 

"  It  will  shorely  save  the  feet,  an'  give  a  feller  time 
to  think,  while  the  current's  doin'  the  work.  It  jest 
suits  a  lazy  man  like  me." 

Again  they  broke  simultaneously  into  a  laugh  that 
contained  no  sound,  but  which  was  full  of  mirth. 

"  It's  talcing  what  doesn't  belong  to  us,  and  we  are 
not  at  war  with  the  Spanish,"  said  Henry. 

"  They  tried  to  hold  Paul  a  prisoner,  and  they're 
not  at  war  with  us,"  rejoined  Sol.  "  We've  got  a 
right  to  hit  back.  Besides,  we're  doin'  it  to  save  a 
war,  and  we're  only  borrowin'  their  boat  fur  their 
own  good." 

The  two,  without  further  ado,  made  a  circuit 
around  the  Spanish  camp,  coming  down  on  the  north 
ern  side.  There  fortunately  for  them  the  trees  and 
bushes  were  thick  to  the  water's  edge,  and  the  shore 
was  very  low.  In  fact,  the  river,  owing  to  the  flood, 
overlapped  the  bushes. 

They  redoubled  their  caution,  using  every  art  and 
device  of  woodcraft  to  approach  without  noise. 
They  could  see  the  flare  of  the  camp  fire  beyond  the 
bushes,  and  now  and  then  they  caught  sight  of  a  sen 
tinel's  head.  They  felt  amply  justified  in  this  at 
tempt,  for  Alvarez  had  not  only  held  Paul  a  prisoner, 

59 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

but  was  plotting  with  the  Indian  chiefs  to  slay  all  the 
white  people  in  Kentucky. 

"  Here  are  the  boats,"  whispered  Henry. 

There  they  were,  eight  in  number,  large,  strong 
boats,  every  one  with  several  pairs  of  oars,  and  tied 
with  ropes  to  the  bushes. 

The  eyes  of  Shif'less  Sol  watered  as  he  gazed. 

"  They  look  pow'ful  good  to  a  lazy  man,"  he  said, 
"  I  could  shorely  sleep  mighty  comf'table  in  one  o' 
them  while  Jim  Hart  wuz  pullin'  at  the  oars." 

"  I  think  the  small  one  at  the  end  nearest  to  us 
would  just  suit  our  party,"  said  Henry;  "  although 
it  has  more,  it  could  be  handled  easily  with  a  single 
pair  of  oars." 

"Shorely!"  said  Shif'less  Sol,  "but  how  to  git 
away  with  it  is  now  the  question." 

It  was  indeed  a  problem,  vexing  and  likewise  dan 
gerous.  A  sentinel,  musket  on  shoulder,  walked  up 
and  down  in  front  of  the  Spanish  navy,  and  he 
seemed  to  be  very  wide  awake.  Moreover,  two  men 
slept  in  each  boat. 

"  We  must  get  that  sentinel  somehow,"  said 
Henry,  "  not  to  hurt  him,  but  to  see  that  he  doesn't 
talk  for  the  next  half  hour  or  so." 

"What's  your  idea?  "  asked  the  shiftless  one. 

Henry  whispered  to  him  rapidly  and  Sol  grinned 
with  satisfaction. 

"  Good  enough,"  said  the  shiftless  one.  "  It'll 
work,"  and  he  crept  away  from  Henry  deep  in  the 
bushes  a  little  west  of  the  sentinel.  A  moment  or  two 
later  the  Spaniard  on  watch  was  startled  by  a  sharp, 

60 


TAKING  A  "  GALLEON  " 

warning  hiss  from  the  edge  of  the  thicket.  He  knew 
very  well  what  made  it  —  a  rattlesnake,  a  thing  that 
he  loathed  and  feared.  He  certainly  did  not  want 
such  a  deadly  reptile  sliding  through  the  grass  on 
his  feet,  and,  clubbing  his  musket,  he  walked  for 
ward,  looking  intently  for  the  venomous  thing.  He 
did  not  see  it  at  first  and  all  his  faculties  became  ab 
sorbed  in  the  search.  Holding  the  clubbed  musket 
ready  for  an  instant  blow  he  peered  into  the  grass 
and  short  bushes.  He  was  a  Spaniard  not  without 
courage,  but  he  was  oppressed  by  the  night,  the 
wilderness,  the  huge  river  flowing  by,  and  his  feeling 
that  he  was  far,  very  far,  from  Spain.  Under  the 
circumstances,  the  poisonous  hiss  inspired  him  with 
an  intense  dread  and  he  was  eager  to  slay.  He 
leaned  a  little  farther,  swinging  the  musket  butt  back 
and  forth,  ready  for  a  quick  blow  when  he  should  see 
the  target. 

He  did  not  hear  a  light  step  behind  him,  but  he 
did  feel  a  powerful  arm  grasp  him  around  the  waist, 
pinning  his  own  arms  to  his  side,  while  a  hand  was 
clasped  over  his  mouth,  checking  the  ready  cry  that 
could  not  pass  his  lips.  Then  before  his  starting 
eyes  a  figure  rose  out  of  the  bushes  whence  the  hiss 
had  come.  It  was  not  that  of  a  rattlesnake,  but  that 
of  a  man,  a  tall  man  with  powerful  shoulders,  blue 
eyes,  and  yellow  hair,  undoubtedly  one  of  the  fero 
cious  Americans. 

The  sentinel  felt  that  his  hour  had  come,  and  he 
began  to  patter  his  prayers  in  his  throat,  but  the  two 
Americans,  the  one  before  him,  and  the  one  who  had 

61 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

grasped  him  from  behind,  did  not  slay  him  at  once. 
Instead  they  said  words  together  in  their  harsh 
tongue.  Then  they  tore  pieces  from  the  sentinel's 
clothing,  made  a  wad  of  it  and  pressed  it  into  his 
mouth.  They  also  tied  a  strip  from  the  same  cloth 
ing  over  his  mouth  and  behind  his  head,  and,  still 
despoiling  his  clothing,  they  bound  him  hand  and 
foot  and  laid  him  in  the  bushes,  where  he  was  in 
visible  to  his  comrades  and  could  only  see  a  sky  in 
which  a  few  dim  stars  danced.  But  on  the  whole  he 
was  glad.  They  had  not  killed  him  as  he  had  ex 
pected,  and  the  gag  in  his  mouth  was  soft.  More 
over,  his  comrades  would  surely  find  him  in  time  and 
release  him. 

Henry  and  Shif'less  Sol  turned  away  and  smiled 
again  at  each  other. 

"  Not  much  trouble,  that,"  whispered  the  shiftless 
one.  "  He  wuz  shorely  a  skeered  Spaniard  ef  I  kin 
read  a  man's  face.  Guess  he  wuz  glad  to  get  off 
ez  easy  ez  he  did.  Now  fur  the  boat !  " 

"  Here  we  are,"  said  Henry.  "  We  must  pitch 
out  the  two  men  sleeping  in  it  —  you  take  one  and 
I'll  take  the  other  —  and  then  we  must  seize  the  oars 
and  pull  like  mad,  because  the  whole  camp  will  be  up. 

The  boat  was  tied  with  a  rope  to  a  stout  sapling 
and  two  Spanish  soldiers  slumbered  in  great  peace 
inside.  The  oars  lay  beside  them.  Henry  cut  the 
rope  with  one  sweep  of  his  long-bladed  hunting-knife, 
and  then  he  and  Shif'less  Sol  sprang  into  the  boat. 
Each  seized  a  man  by  the  shoulders  and  lifted  him 
in  his  powerful  arms.  It  was  a  chance  that  one  of 

62 


TAKING  A  "  GALLEON  " 

the  sleepers  was  Luiz,  and,  when  he  was  snatched 
suddenly  from  blissful  dreams  to  somber  fact,  he 
opened  his  eyes  to  see  bending  over  him  the  same 
grave,  tanned  being  who  had  rescued  him  from  the 
raging  buffalo. 

But  it  was  not  a  beneficent  spirit,  because  Luiz  was 
tossed  bodily  the  next  moment  into  three  feet  of 
muddy  water.  He  uttered  a  cry  of  terror  and  de 
spair  as  he  went  down,  and  another  Spaniard  uttered 
a  similar  cry  at  the  same  moment.  Both  cries  were 
cut  off  short  by  mouthfuls  of  the  Mississippi,  but  the 
two  Spaniards  came  up  a  moment  later,  and  began 
to  wade  hastily  to  the  shore.  Each  cast  a  frightened 
glance  behind  him,  and  saw  their  boat  disappearing 
on  the  river's  bosom,  carrying  the  two  evil  spirits 
with  it. 

"  I  shorely  enjoyed  that,"  said  Shif  less  Sol,  as  the 
oars  bent  beneath  his  powerful  stroke.  '  That  Span 
iard's  face  as  he  woke  up  an'  found  hisself  whirled 
out  into  the  Mississippi  wuz  the  funniest  thing  I  ever 
seed,  an'  I  had  the  fun,  too,  without  hurting  him. 
It  ain't  often,  Paul,  that  you  kin  do  what  you  need 
to  do  an'  be  full  o'  laugh,  too,  an'  so  when  the  time 
comes  I  make  the  most  o'  it." 

"  It  was  worth  seeing,"  said  Henry,  "  and  we've 
been  in  great  luck,  too.  There,  hear  'em !  They've 
got  the  water  out  of  their  mouths  and  are  giving 
tongue  again!  Pull,  Sol!  Pull!" 

Loud  shouts  came  from  the  sentinels  who  had 
risen  from  their  bath  and  it  was  followed  by  cries 
in  the  Spanish  camp.  Torches  flared,  there  was  the 

63 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

sound  of  running  footsteps,  and  dusky  figures  ap 
peared  at  the  river's  bank. 

"Pull,  Sol!  Pull!"  exhorted  Henry  again. 
'  We're  not  yet  out  of  range !  " 

Shots  were  fired  and  bullets  pattered  on  the  water 
but  none  reached  the  boat.  They  heard  angry  cries, 
imprecations,  and  they  saw  one  figure  apparently  giv 
ing  commands,  which  they  were  sure  was  that  of 
Francisco  Alvarez. 

"  Now  if  they  had  our  Kentucky  rifles  and  real 
marksmen,"  said  Shif'less  Sol,  "  they  could  pick  you 
an'  me  off  without  any  trouble.  Thar's  light  enough. 
But  with  them  old  bell-mouthed  muskets  they  can't 
do  much.  No,  Henry,  we're  bold  pirates  on  the 
high  seas  an'  we've  been  an'  took  a  Spanish  gall- 
yun  —  ain't  that  what  they  call  their  treasure  ships? 
'Pears  to  me,  Henry,  I  kinder  like  bein'  a  pirate, 
'specially  when  you  do  the  takin',  an'  ain't  took  your 
self." 

"  That's  so,"  laughed  Henry,  "  but  we'd  better 
keep  pulling,  Sol,  with  all  our  might.  They're  sure 
to  pursue,  and,  as  they  have  plenty  of  men  for  the 
oars,  we  need  all  the  start  that  we  can  get." 

They  were  well  out  in  the  middle  of  the  stream 
now,  and  the  deep,  powerful  current  of  the  Missis 
sippi  was  aiding  them  greatly,  but  both  glanced  back. 
The  shore  was  lined  with  men  and  another  volley  was 
fired.  All  the  bullets  fell  short,  and  Shif'less  Sol 
laughed  contemptuously. 

"  Now  they  are  beginnin'  the  pursuit,"  he  said. 

Four  boats  had  been  cut  loose,   and,  filled  with 

64 


TAKING  A  "  GALLEON  " 

Spaniards,  they  were  pushed  from  the  bank.  Henry 
turned  the  prow  of  their  own  boat  until  it  bore  in  a 
slanting  direction  toward  the  eastern  shore. 

"  What's  your  plan?  "  asked  the  shiftless  one. 

u  The  river,  you  know,  has  overflowed  on  the 
eastern  shore  over  there  for  three  or  four  miles;  we 
must  lose  ourselves  in  the  forest  on  that  side." 

"  An'  let  'em  pass  us?  " 

"  That's  just  it.  We  want  'em  to  go  on  ahead 
of  us  to  Louisiana,  while  we  follow.  Besides  we've 
got  to  pick  up  Paul  and  Jim  and  Tom." 

Shouts  arose  from  the  pursuers  and  more  shots 
were  fired,  but  they  were  still  beyond  the  range  of 
the  Spanish  muskets  and  the  two  were  untouched. 
They  were  not  even  alarmed. 

"  There's  a  lot  of  confusion  in  the  boats,"  said 
Henry,  who  looked  back  again  with  a  critical  eye, 
"  and  as  they  don't  pull  together  they're  not  gaining. 
The  night  is  also  growing  darker  and  that  helps  us, 
too.  Keep  it  up,  Sol!  " 

"  All  right,"  said  the  shiftless  one,  increasing  his 
stroke.  "  It's  fine  to  be  a  pirate,  Henry.  Wonder 
why  I  never  tried  it  afore !  But  I  believe  I'll  always 
be  a  pirate  at  night  when  you've  got  more  chance  to 
git  away." 

"  You're  right  as  usual,  Sol,"  said  Henry  as  he, 
too,  increased  his  stroke. 

They  pulled  away  for  some  time  without  further 
words,  and  the  pursuers,  also,  settled  into  silence  save, 
for  an  encouraging  shout  now  and  then  to  the  rowers. 
Henry  thought  that  he  discerned  both  Alvarez  and 

6s 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Braxton  Wyatt  in  the  foremost  boat  and  he  could 
imagine  the  rage  and  chagrin  of  both. 

"  I  believe  they're  gaining,"  he  said  presently  to 
Sol. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  shiftless  one,  "  that  big  boat 
thar  is  creepin'  up." 

"  Crack!  "  came  a  report  and  a  bullet  embedded 
itself  in  the  stout  wood  of  their  own  boat.  Both  rec 
ognized  the  report.  It  was  not  that  of  a  Spanish 
musket,  but  the  lashing  fire  of  a  Kentucky  rifle  like 
their  own. 

"  That  was  Braxton  Wyatt,"  said  Henry.  "  I 
thought  I  could  make  him  out  in  that  boat.  He's 
got  a  rifle  that  reaches  and  he's  a  danger." 

"  Why  don't  you  talk  back?  "  asked  Shif'less  Sol. 

"  I  will,"  replied  Henry.  "  We're  not  at  war 
with  Spain,  but  we  are  surely  at  war  with  Braxton 
Wyatt.  I  think  the  second  man  in  the  boat  is  Brax 
ton.  Hold  her  steady  just  a  second,  Sol." 

Henry  shipped  his  oars,  knelt  a  moment,  and  up 
went  the  long,  slender  barrel  of  his  Kentucky  rifle. 
As  he  looked  down  the  sight  he  was  sure  that  the  man 
at  whom  he  was  aiming  was  Braxton  Wyatt,  and  he 
was  sure,  moreover,  that  he  would  not  miss.  But  a 
feeling  for  which  he  could  not  account  made  him  de" 
fleet  slightly  the  muzzle  of  his  weapon. 

Braxton  Wyatt  richly  deserved  death  for  crimes 
already  done  and  he  would  be,  as  long  as  he  lived,  a 
deadly  menace  to  the  border.  But  Henry  felt  that 
he  could  not  be  both  judge  and  executioner.  He  and 
Braxton  Wyatt  had  been  young  boys  together.  So, 

66 


TAKING  A  "  GALLEON  " 

when  he  deflected  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle,  it  was  to 
turn  the  bullet  from  his  heart  to  his  arm. 

The  rifle  flashed,  the  sharp  report  echoed  over  the 
flowing  waters,  and  a  cry  of  pain  came  from  the  pur 
suing  boat,  which  quickly  slackened  its  speed. 

"  I  hit  him  in  the  arm  only,"  said  Henry. 

Shi f 'less  Sol  glanced  at  his  comrade  and  he  under 
stood,  but  he  made  no  criticism. 

"  Ef  you've  stung  him  in  the  arm,"  he  said,  "  it 
ain't  likely  that  he  kin  use  that  rifle  o'  his  ag'in,  an' 
I  notice,  too,  since  you  shot  that  them  oarsmen  ain't 
burnin'  up  with  zeal.  Now  you  row,  Henry,  while 
I  plunk  a  bullet  in  among  'em,  an'  they'll  burn  less 
than  ever." 

Shif'less  Sol  fired.  He  did  not  shoot  to  kill,  but  his 
bullet  whistled  unpleasantly  near  the  heads  of  the 
rowers,  and,  as  he  had  predicted,  they  rapidly  lost 
zeal.  The  captured  boat  slid  swiftly  ahead. 

"  Here  we  are  among  the  trees,"  said  Henry. 
"  Now,  Sol,  keep  on  rowing  and  I'll  look  out  that 
we  don't  run  into  anything." 

The  swollen  waters  rose  far  up  on  the  trunks  of  the 
trees,  which  grew  thickly  here,  and  Sol  rowed  slowly, 
making  no  noise  save  a  slight  ripple,  while  Henry 
pushed  the  prow  of  the  boat  away  from  the  trunks 
and  the  bushes.  It  was  very  dark  here  and  in  a  few 
minutes  the  pursuing  boats  were  shut  out  of  sight. 

'  Thar  ain't  eyes  enough  in  that  Spanish  camp  to 
find  us  now,"  said  Shif'less  Sol. 

But  they  rowed  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  forest, 
and  then,  in  a  cluster  of  trees  where  they  could  not 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

be  seen  ten  feet  away,  they  stopped  and  listened. 
Not  a  sound  but  the  lapping  of  the  water  came  to 
their  ears. 

"  We'll  take  a  good  rest  and  then  row  North 
ward,  still  keeping  in  the  forest,"  said  Henry. 

They  shipped  their  oars  and  drew  long,  deep 
breaths  of  relief  and  satisfaction. 

"  Henry,"  said  Shif'less  Sol  presently  in  a  tone  of 
great  exultation,  "  have  you  noticed  that  this  is  a 
shore  enough  gall-yun  that  weVe  took?  We  didn't 
know  it,  but  we  jest  boarded  and  sailed  away  with  a 
real  treasure  ship.  Look!  " 

He  opened  a  locker  and  took  out  two  fine  orna 
mented  guns. 

"What  are  these?"  he  said. 

"  Why,  those  are  fowling  pieces,"  replied  Henry, 
"  and  they  are  of  the  very  best  English  make. 
We'll  certainly  borrow  those,  Sol." 

"  Yes,  an'  this  end  o'  the  locker  is  full  o'  powder 
an'  shot  fur  'em.  Thar's  no  lack  o'  ammunition,  an' 
look  here,  Henry,  at  these !  " 

He  took  out  of  another  locker  three  beautiful 
rapiers  with  polished  hilts  and  decorated  scabbards. 

"  Spaniards  like  sech  tools  ez  these,"  continued  the 
shiftless  one,  "  an'  they're  mighty  purty  to  look  at, 
but  ez  fur  me  give  me  my  good  old  Kentucky  rifle. 
At  a  hundred  yards  what  chance  would  them  things 
have  ag'in  me?  " 

"  We'll  borrow  them,  too,"  said  Henry.  "  We 
may  have  a  use  for  them  later  on.  They're  weapons 
that  never  have  to  be  reloaded." 

68 


TAKING  A  "  GALLEON  >: 

Sol  drew  forth  one  of  the  small  swords  and  held 
it  up.  A  shaft  of  moonlight  fell  across  the  blade, 
and  showed  the  keen  edge. 

"  They're  such  fine  weepins  they  must  hev  be 
longed  to  that  thar  Spanish  commander  hisself," 
he  said.  "  After  all,  a  thing  like  this  mightn't  be 
bad  when  you  come  to  it  right  close.  Mebbe  Paul 
could  handle  it.  You  know  Mr.  Pennypacker  used 
to  teach  him  how  to  swing  the  sword.  This  is  how 
it  goes :  Ah,  ha !  Sa  ha !  touched  you  thar  1 
How's  that  my  hearty!  " 

Shif'less  Sol  lunged  at  the  night  air,  slashed,  cut, 
swept  his  sword  around  in  circles,  and  then  laughed 
again.  But  none  of  his  exclamations  was  uttered 
above  a  whisper.  Henry  was  forced  to  smile. 

"  Put  it  down,  Sol,"  he  said,  "  and  let's  see  what 
else  we've  got.  It  may  be  that  we've  taken  Alvarez's 
own  private  boat." 

Sol  opened  the  locker  again,  and  held  up  a  curi 
ously  shaped  stone  jug,  which  he  contemplated  for 
a  few  moments.  Then  he  took  out  the  stopper, 
smelled  the  contents,  and  looked  appreciatively  at  his 
comrade. 

"  Henry,"  he  said,  "  I'm  going  to  risk  it." 

"  It's  no  risk." 

Sol  turned  the  jug  up  to  his  lips,  took  a  mouthful, 
which  he  held  for  a  moment  or  two,  and  then  swal 
lowed.  After  waiting  a  half  minute  he  uttered  a 
deep  sigh  of  content,  and  rubbed  his  chest. 

"  It  tasted  good  all  the  way  down,  Henry,"  he 
said.  "  Here's  something  writ  over  the  label,  but 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

I  guess  it's  Spanish,  another  o'  them  useless  tongues, 
an'  so  it  tells  nothin'." 

"  Put  it  back,"  said  Henry.  "  It's  some  of  those 
fancy  liquors,  but  we'll  keep  it  for  times  when  we're 
wet  or  cold  or  tired  out." 

"  All  right,"  said  Sol,  "  an'  here's  three  more  little 
jugs  like  it." 

"  What  else  do  you  find?  "  asked  Henry. 

"  Oh,  look  at  these,  will  you !  "  exclaimed  Sol, 
holding  up  two  splendid  double  barreled  duelling 
pistols  of  Spanish  make. 

"  Now  I'm  sure  that  this  is  the  boat  of  Alvarez 
himself,"  said  Henry.  "  Such  fine  things  as  these 
could  belong  only  to  the  Commander.  Those  are 
duelling  pistols,  Sol,  but  they  can  be  made  mighty 
useful,  too,  for  our  defense  in  case  of  a  pinch.  We'll 
keep  them,  too." 

The  shiftless  one  put  them  back  and  opening 
another  locker  uttered  a  little  cry  of  delight. 

"  A  hull  carpenter  shop !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Jest 
look,  Henry !  A  fine  axe,  hammers  an'  hatchets,  an' 
saws  an'  augers  an'  a  lot  o'  other  things  pow'ful  use 
ful  to  fellers  like  us  that  have  to  cut  an'  bore  their  own 
way  out  here  in  the  woods.  This  is  shorely  one  o' 
them  gall-yuns  that  Paul  tells  us  about,  an'  I  guess 
we're  about  ez  highfalutin'  an  lucky  pirates  ez  any  o' 
them." 

"  You're  right,  Sol,"  said  Henry.  "This  boat 
is  a  great  find,  and  it's  lawful  prize  as  they  began 
the  war  upon  us  by  seizing  Paul.  Keep  on  look 
ing,  Sol." 

70 


TAKING  A  "  GALLEON  " 

"  Here's  some  beautiful  blankets,"  continued  the 
shiftless  one.  "  Guess  they  were  made  to  trade  with 
the  Injuns.  But  it's  more'n  likely  that  this  here  most 
gorg-y-us  one  will,  on  occasions,  shelter,  warm,  pur- 
tect  an'  otherwise  care  fur  the  deservin'  body  o'  one 
Solomon  Hyde,  a  highly  valooable  citizen  o'  the  new 
country  they  call  Kentucky.  An'  say,  Henry,  what 
do  you  call  this?  " 

His  voice  took  a  rapidly  rising  inflection,  as  he 
held  up  a  glittering  garment,  puffed  with  magnifi 
cent  lace. 

u  That,"  said  Henry,  "  is  what  they  call  a  doub 
let,  and  I  should  say  that  it  is  the  finest  one  belonging 
to  Captain  Alvarez.  Oh,  won't  he  be  angry !  " 

Sol  slipped  off  his  hunting  shirt,  and  slipped  on  the 
doublet. 

"  It's  a  little  tight  in  the  shoulders,"  he  said,  "  but 
I  could  wear  it  in  a  pinch,  that  is,  I  guess  I'd  hev 
to  wear  it  in  a  pinch.  Say,  Henry,  ain't  I  a  beauty?  " 

He  stood  up  in  the  boat  and  turned  slowly  around 
and  around,  his  arms  extended  and  the  doublet  glit 
tering.  Henry  leaned  against  the  side  of  the  boat 
and  laughed. 

"  It  doesn't  suit  you,  Sol,"  he  replied,  "  you're  a 
fine  looking  man,  but  it's  in  your  own  way,  not  the 
Spanish  way." 

Sol  took  off  the  garment,  folded  it  up  carefully, 
and  put  it  back  in  the  locker. 

"  Anyway,  I'm  goin'  to  claim  it,"  he  said.  "  I 
want  it  to  make  Jim  Hart  jealous.  An',  Henry, 
thar's  a  lot  more  things  here,  a  little  tent  all  rolled 

71 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

up,  some  bottles  o'  medicine,  some  more  clothes,  two 
big  bottles  o'  brandy,  and  a  whole  lot  o'  house- 
keepin'  truck,  like  pins  an'  needles  an'  thread,  an' 
them  things  that  kin  be  pow'ful  useful  to  us  on  a 
long  journey.  An'  jumpin'  Jehoshaphat,  Henry, 
here's  a  little  bag  o'  silver  an'  gold!  " 

"  Put  that  back!  "  said  Henry  hastily.  "  Put  it 
back,  Sol!  Their  goods  we'll  borrow  as  fair  spoil, 
but  we  won't  touch  their  money.  Put  it  back  and 
none  of  us  will  ever  take  that  bag  out  again." 

"  You're  right,  Henry,"  said  Sol  soberly.  "  I 
wouldn't  handle  a  single  coin  in  that  bag  thar. 
Here  she  goes  right  under  the  bottom  o'  everything 
in  this  locker,  an'  thar  she'll  stay.  But,  Henry,  our 
gall-yun  is  the  biggest  find  we  ever  made  in  our  lives. 
I  never  dreamed  o'  travelin'  in  sech  style  an'  comfort 
down  the  Mississippi." 

"  Do  you  think  it's  going  to  grow  lighter?  "  asked 
Henry. 

"  No,"  replied  Sol  decidedly.  "  It's  been  a  shy 
kind  o'  moon  to-night,  an'  it's  a  gittin'  so  much  shyer 
that  it's  plumb  afraid  to  show  its  face.  In  three 
minutes  it  will  hide  behind  a  big  cloud  that's  edgin1 
up  over  thar,  an'  we  won't  see  it  no  more  to-night." 

"  Then  we'll  pull  down  to  the  edge  of  the  woods 
and  see  if  the  Spaniards  have  given  up  the  chase." 

"  An'  be  keerful  not  to  run  into  any  snags  or  sech 
like.  We  don't  want  to  wreck  a  magnificent  gall- 
yun  like  this  when  we've  got  her." 

They  had  been  lying  in  the  flooded  forest  about 
two  hours,  and  now  they  pulled  very  cautiously 

72 


TAKING  A  "  GALLEON  ' 

toward  the  main  stream.  It  was  a  large  boat  for 
two  men,  however  strong,  to  handle,  but  they  got 
through  without  colliding  with  snag  or  tree  trunk, 
or  making  any  noise  that  could  be  heard  a  dozen 
yards  away. 


CHAPTER  V 

ON   THE   GREAT   RIVER 

THEY  remained  just  within  the  edge  of  the 
forest,  but,  despite  the  lack  of  moonlight, 
they  could  see  far  over  the  surface  of  the 
river.  It  seemed  to  be  an  absolutely  clean  sweep  of 
waters,  as  free  from  boats  as  if  man  had  never  come, 
but,  after  long  looking,  Henry  thought  that  he  could 
detect  a  half  dozen  specks  moving  southward.  It 
was  only  for  a  moment,  and  then  the  specks  were 
gone. 

"  I'm  sure  it  was  the  Spanish  boats,"  said  Henry, 
"  and  I'  think  they've  given  up  the  hunt." 

"  More'n  likely,"  said  Sol,  "  an'  I  guess  it's  about 
time  fur  us  to  pull  across  an'  pick  up  Paul  an'  Tom 
an'  Jim.  They'll  wonder  what  hez  become  o'  us. 
An'  say,  Henry,  won't  they  be  s'prised  to  see  us  come 
proudly  sailin'  into  port  in  our  gran'  big  gall-yun, 
all  loaded  down  with  arms  an'  supplies  an'  treasures 
that  we  hev  captured?" 

Sol  spoke  in  a  tone  of  deep  content,  and  Henry 
replied  in  the  same  tone: 

"If  they  don't  they've  changed  mightily  since  we 
left  'em." 

Both,  in  truth,  were  pervaded  with  satisfaction. 

74 


ON  THE  GREAT  RIVER 

They  felt  that  they  had  never  done  a  better  night's 
work.  They  had  a  splendid  boat  filled  with  the 
most  useful  supplies.  As  Sol  truthfully  said,  it  was 
one  thing  to  walk  a  thousand  miles  through  the 
woods  to  New  Orleans  and  another  to  float  down 
on  the  current  in  a  comfortable  boat.  They  had 
cause  for  their  deep  satisfaction. 

They  pulled  with  strong,  steady  strokes  across  the 
Mississippi,  taking  a  diagonal  course,  and  they 
stopped  now  and  then  to  look  for  a  possible  enemy. 
But  they  saw  nothing,  and  at  last  their  boat  touched 
the  western  shore.  Here  Sol  uttered  their  favorite 
signal,  the  cry  of  the  wolf,  and  it  was  quickly 
answered  from  the  brush. 

'  They're  all  right,"  said  Henry,  and  presently 
they  heard  the  light  footsteps  of  the  three  coming 
fast. 

"  Here,  Paul,  here  we  are !  "  called  out  Sol  a  few 
moments  later,  "  an'  min',  Paul,  that  your  moccasins 
are  clean.  We  don't  allow  no  dirty  footsteps  on  this 
magnificent,  silver-plated  gall-yun  o'  ours,  an'  ez  fur 
Jim  Hart,  ef  the  Mississippi  wuzn't  so  muddy  I'd 
make  him  take  a  bath  afore  he  come  aboard." 

Henry  and  the  shiftless  one  certainly  enjoyed  the 
surprise  of  their  comrades  who  stood  staring. 

"  I  suppose  you  cut  her  out,  took  her  from  the 
Spaniards?"  said  Paul. 

"  We  shorely  did,"  replied  Sol,  "  an',  Paul,  she's  a 
shore  enough  gall-yun,  one  o'  the  kind  you  told  us 
them  Spaniards  had,  'cause  she's  full  o'  good  things0 
Jest  come  on  board  an'  look." 

75 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

The  three  were  quickly  on  the  boat  and  they 
followed  Sol  with  surprise  and  delight,  as  he  showed 
them  their  new  treasures  one  by  one. 

11  You've  named  her  right,  Sol,"  said  Paul.  "  She 
is  a  galleon  to  us,  sure  enough,  and  that's  what  we'll 
call  her,  4  The  Galleon.'  When  we  have  time,  Sol, 
you  and  I  will  cut  that  name  on  her  with  our  knives." 

They  tied  their  boat  to  a  sapling  and  kept  the 
oars  and  themselves  aboard.  Tom  Ross  volunteered 
to  keep  the  watch  for  the  few  hours  that  were  left  of 
the  night.  The  others  disposed  themselves  com 
fortably  in  the  boat,  wrapped  their  bodies  in  the 
beautiful  new  Spanish  blankets,  and  were  soon  sound 
asleep. 

Tom  sat  in  the  prow  of  the  boat,  his  rifle  across 
his  knees,  and  his  keen  hunting  knife  by  his  side.  At 
the  first  sign  of  danger  from  shore  he  could  cut  the 
rope  with  a  single  slash  of  his  knife  and  push  the 
boat  far  out  into  the  current. 

But  there  was  no  indication  of  danger  nor  did  the 
indefinable  sixth  sense,  that  came  of  long  habit  and 
training,  warn  him  of  any.  Instead,  it  remained  a 
peaceful  night,  though  dark,  and  Tom  looked  con 
templatively  at  his  comrades.  He  was  the  oldest 
of  the  little  party  and  a  man  of  few  words,  but  he 
was  deeply  attached  to  his  four  faithful  comrades. 
Silently  he  gave  thanks  that  his  lot  was  cast  with 
those  whom  he  liked  so  well. 

The  night  passed  away  and  up  came  a  beautiful 
dawn  of  rose  and  gold.  Tom  Ross  awakened  his 
comrades. 


ON  THE  GREAT  RIVER 

"  The  day  is  here,"  he  said,  "  an'  we  must  be  up 
an'  doin'  ef  we're  goin'  to  keep  on  the  trail  o'  them 
Spanish  fellers." 

"  All  right,"  said  Shif'less  Sol,  opening  his  eyes. 
"  Jim  Hart,  is  my  breakfus  ready?  Ef  so,  you  kin 
jest  bring  it  to  me  while  I'm  layin'  here  an'  I'll  eat 
it  in  bed." 

"Your  breakfus  ready!"  replied  Jim  Hart  in 
dignantly.  u  What  sort  uv  nonsense  are  you  talkin' 
now,  Sol  Hyde?" 

"  Why,  ain't  you  the  ship's  cook?  "  said  Sol  in  a 
hurt  tone,  "  an'  oughtn't  you  to  be  proud  o'  bein' 
head  cook  on  a  splendiferous  new  gall-yun 
like  this?  I'd  a-thought,  Jim,  you'd  be  so  full 
o'  enthusiasm  over  bein'  promoted  that  you'd  have 
had  ready  fur  us  the  grandest  breakfus  that  wuz 
ever  cooked  by  a  mortal  man  fur  mortal  men.  It 
wuz  sech  a  fine  chance  fur  you." 

"  I  think  we  can  risk  a  fire,"  said  Henry.  "  The 
Spaniards  are  far  out  of  sight,  and  warm  food  will 
be  good  for  us." 

After  they  had  eaten,  Henry  poured  a  few  drops 
of  the  Spanish  liquor  for  each  in  a  small  silver  cup 
that  he  found  in  one  of  the  lockers. 

"  That  will  hearten  us  up,"  he  said,  but  directly 
after  they  drank  it  Paul,  who  had  been  making  an 
exploration  of  his  own  on  the  boat,  uttered  a  cry  of 
joy. 

"Coffee!"  he  said,  as  he  dragged  a  bag  from 
under  a  seat,  "  and  here  is  a  pot  to  boil  it  in." 

"  More  treasures,"  said  Sol  gleefully.  "  That 
77 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

wuz  shorely  a  good  night's  work  you  an'  me  done, 
Henry!" 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  boil  a  pot  of  the 
coffee  then  and  there,  and  each  had  a  long,  delicious 
drink.  Coffee  and  tea  were  so  rare  in  the  wilder 
ness  that  they  were  valued  like  precious  treasures. 
Then  they  packed  their  things  and  started,  pulling 
out  into  the  middle  of  the  stream  and  giving  the  cur 
rent  only  a  little  assistance  with  the  oars. 

"  One  thing  is  shore,"  said  Shif  less  Sol,  lolling 
luxuriously  on  a  locker,  "  that  Spanish  gang  can't  git 
away  from  us.  All  we've  got  to  do  is  to  float  along 
ez  easy  ez  you  please,  an'  we'll  find  'em  right  in  the 
middle  o'  the  road." 

"  It  does  beat  walkin',"  said  Jim  Hart,  with  equal 
content,  "  but  this  is  shorely  a  pow'ful  big  river.  I 
never  seed  so  much  muddy  water  afore  in  my  life." 

"  It's  a  good  river,  a  kind  river,"  said  Paul,  u  be 
cause  it's  taking  us  right  to  its  bosom,  and  carry 
ing  us  on  where  we  want  to  go  with  but  little  trouble 


to  us." 


It  was  to  Paul,  the  most  imaginative  of  them  all, 
to  whom  the  mighty  river  made  the  greatest  appeal. 
It  seemed  beneficent  and  kindly  to  him,  a  friend  in 
need.  Nature,  Paul  thought,  had  often  come  to 
their  assistance,  watching  over  them,  as  it  were,  and 
helping  them  when  they  were  weakest.  And,  in 
truth,  what  they  saw  that  morning  was  enough  to 
inspire  a  bold  young  wilderness  rover. 

The  river  turned  from  yellow  to  a  lighter  tint  in 
the  brilliant  sunlight.  Little  waves  raised  by  the 

78 


ON  THE  GREAT  RIVER 

wind  ran  across  the  slowly-flowing  current.  As  far 
as  they  could  see  the  stream  extended  to  eastward, 
carried  by  the  flood  deep  into  the  forest.  The  air 
was  crisp,  with  the  sparkle  of  spring,  and  all  the  ad 
venturers  rejoiced. 

Now  and  then  great  flocks  of  wild  fowl,  ducks  and 
geese,  flew  over  the  river,  and  they  were  so  little  used 
to  man  that  more  than  once  they  passed  close  to  the 
boat. 

'  The  Spaniards  are  too  far  away  to  hear,"  said 
Henry,  "  and  the  next  time  any  wild  ducks  come 
near  I'm  going  to  try  one  of  these  fowling  pieces. 
We  need  fresh  ducks,  anyway." 

He  took  out  a  fowling  piece,  loaded  it  carefully 
with  the  powder  and  shot  that  the  locker  furnished 
in  abundance  and  waited  his  time.  By  and  by  a  flock 
of  wild  ducks  flew  near  and  Henry  fired  into  the 
midst  of  them.  Three  lay  floating  on  the  water 
after  the  shot,  and  when  they  took  them  in  Long 
Jim  Hart,  a  master  on  all  such  subjects,  pronounced 
them  to  be  of  a  highly  edible  variety. 

Paul,  meanwhile,  took  out  one  of  the  small 
swords  and  examined  it  critically. 

"  It  is  certainly  a  fine  one,"  he  said.  "  I  suppose 
it's  what  they  call  a  Toledo  blade  in  Spain,  the  finest 
that  they  make." 

"  Could  you  do  much  with  it,  Paul?  "  asked  Shif- 
less  Sol. 

"  I  could,"  replied  Paul  confidently.  "  Mr.  Pen- 
nypacker  served  in  the  great  French  war.  He  was 
at  the  taking  of  Quebec,  and  he  learned  the  use  of 

79 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

the  sword  from  good  masters.  He's  taught  me  all 
the  tricks." 

"  Maybe,  then,"  said  Sol  laughing,  "  you'll  have 
to  fight  Alvarez  with  one  o'  them  stickers.  Ef  sech 
a  combat  is  on  it'll  fall  to  you,  Paul.  The  rest  o' 
us  are  handier  with  rifle  an'  knife." 

"  It's  never  likely  to  happen,"  said  Paul. 

The  morning  passed  peacefully  on,  and  the  glory 
of  the  heavens  was  undimmed.  The  river  was  a 
vast,  murmuring  stream,  and  the  five  voyagers  felt 
that,  for  the  present,  their  task  was  an  easy  one.  A 
single  man  at  the  oars  was  sufficient  to  keep  the  boat 
moving  as  fast  as  they  wished,  and  the  rest  occupied 
themselves  with  details  that  might  provide  for  a 
future  need. 

Paul  brought  out  one  of  the  beautiful  small  swords 
again,  and  fenced  vigorously  with  an  imaginary  an 
tagonist.  Jim  Hart  took  a  captured  needle  and 
thread  and  began  to  mend  a  rent  in  his  attire. 
Henry  lifted  the  folded  tent  from  the  locker  and 
looked  carefully  at  the  cloth. 

"  I  think  that  with  this  and  a  pole  or  two  we  might 
fix  up  a  sail  if  we  needed  it,"  he  said.  "  We  don't 
know  anything  about  sails,  but  we  can  learn  by  try- 
ing." 

Tom  Ross  was  at  the  oars,  but  Shi f 'less  Sol  lay 
back  on  a  locker,  closed  his  eyes,  and  said: 

"  Jest  wake  me  up,  when  we  git  to  New  Or-lee- 
yuns.  1  could  lay  here  an'  sleep  forever,  the  boat 
rockin'  me  to  sleep  like  a  cradle." 

They  saw  nothing  of  the  Spanish  force,  but  they 

80 


ON  THE  GREAT  RIVER 

knew  that  such  a  flotilla  could  not  evade  them. 
Having  no  reason  to  hide,  the  Spaniards  would  not 
seek  to  conceal  so  many  boats  in  the  flooded  forest. 
Hence  the  five  felt  perfectly  easy  on  that  point. 
About  noon  they  ran  their  own  boat  among  the  trees 
until  they  reached  dry  land.  Here  they  lighted  a 
fire  and  cooked  their  ducks,  which  they  found  deli 
cious,  and  then  resumed  their  leisurely  journey. 

The  afternoon  was  as  peaceful  as  the  morning, 
but  it  seemed  to  the  sensitive  imagination  of  Paul 
that  the  wilderness  aspect  of  everything  was  deepen 
ing.  The  great  flooded  river  broadened  until  the 
line  of  water  and  horizon  met,  and  Paul  could  easily 
fancy  that  they  were  floating  on  a  boundless  sea. 
An  uncommonly  red  sun  was  setting  and  here  and 
there  the  bubbles  were  touched  with  fire.  Far  in 
the  west  dark  shadows  were  stealing  up. 

"  Look,"  Henry  suddenly  exclaimed,  "  I  think 
that  the  Spanish  have  gone  into  camp  for  the  night !  " 

He  pointed  down  the  stream  and  toward  the  west 
ern  shore,  where  a  thin  spire  of  smoke  was  rising. 

"  It's  that,  certain,"  said  Tom  Ross,  "  an'  I  guess 
we'd  better  make  fur  camp,  too." 

They  pulled  toward  the  eastern  shore,  in  order 
that  the  river  might  be  between  them  and  the  Span 
iards  during  the  night  and  soon  reached  a  grove 
which  stood  many  feet  deep  in  the  water.  As  they 
passed  under  the  shelter  of  the  boughs  they  took 
another  long  look  toward  the  spire  of  smoke. 
Henry,  who  had  the  keenest  eyes  of  all,  was  able  to 
make  out  the  dim  outline  of  boats  tied  to  the  bank, 

81 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

and  any  lingering  doubt  that  the  Spaniards  might  not 
be  there  was  dispelled. 

"  When  they  start  in  the  morning  we'll  start,  too," 
said  Henry. 

Then  they  pushed  their  boat  further  back  into  the 
grove.  Night  was  coming  fast.  The  sun  sank  in 
the  bosom  of  the  river,  the  water  turned  from  yel 
low  to  red  and  then  to  black,  and  the  earth  lay  in 
darkness. 

"  I  think  we'd  better  tie  up  here  and  eat  cold 
food,"  said  Henry. 

"  An'  then  sleep,"  said  Shif'less  Sol.  "  That  wuz 
a  mighty  comf'table  Spanish  blanket  I  had  last  night 
an',  Jim  Hart,  I  want  to  tell  you  that  if  you  move 
'roun'  to-night,  while  you're  watchin',  please  step 
awful  easy,  an'  be  keerful  not  to  wake  me  'cause  I'm 
a  light  sleeper.  I  don't  like  to  be  waked  up  either 
early  or  late  in  the  night.  Tain't  good  fur  the 
health.  Makes  a  feller  grow  old  afore  his  time." 

"  Sol,"  said  Henry,  who  was  captain  by  fitness  and 
universal  consent,  "  you'll  take  the  watch  until  about 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  then  Paul  will  re 
lieve  you." 

Jim  Hart  doubled  up  his  long  form  with  silent 
laughter,  and  smote  his  knee  violently  with  the  palm 
of  his  right  hand. 

"  Oh,  yes,  Sol  Hyde,"  he  said,  "  I'll  step  lightly, 
that  is,  ef  I  happen  to  be  walkin'  'roun'  in  my  sleep, 
an'  I'll  take  care  not  to  wake  you  too  suddenly,  Sol 
Hyde.  I  wouldn't  do  it  for  anything.  I  don't  want 
to  stunt  your  growth,  an'  you  already  sech  a  feeble, 

82 


ON  THE  GREAT  RIVER 

delicate  sort  o'  creetur,  not  able  to  take  nourishment 
7ceptin'  from  a  spoon. " 

"  Thar  ain't  no  reward  in  this  world  fur  a  good 
man,"  said  the  shiftless  one  in  a  resigned  tone. 

They  ate  quickly,  and,  as  usual,  those  who  did  not 
have  to  watch  wrapped  themselves  in  their  blankets 
and  with  equal  quickness  fell  asleep.  Shif'less  Sol 
took  his  place  in  the  prow  of  the  boat,  and  his  atti 
tude  was  much  like  that  of  Tom  Ross  the  night  be 
fore,  only  lazier  and  more  graceful.  Sol  was  a  fine 
figure  of  a  young  man,  drooped  in  a  luxurious  and  re 
clining  attitude,  his  shoulder  against  the  side  of  the 
boat,  and  a  roll  of  two  blankets  against  his  back. 
His  eyes  were  half  closed,  and  a  stray  observer,  had 
there  been  any,  might  have  thought  that  he  was  either 
asleep  or  dreaming. 

But  the  shiftless  one,  fit  son  of  the  wilderness,  was 
never  more  awake  in  his  life.  The  eyes,  looking 
from  under  the  lowered  lids,  pierced  the  forest  like 
those  of  a  cat.  He  saw  and  noted  every  tree  trunk 
within  the  range  of  human  vision,  and  no  piece  of 
floating  debris  on  the  surface  of  the  flooded  river 
escaped  his  attention.  His  sharp  ears  heard,  too, 
every  sound  in  the  grove,  the  rustle  of  a  stray  breeze 
through  the  new  leaves,  or  the  splash  of  a  fish,  as  it 
leaped  from  the  water  and  sank  back  again. 

The  hours  dragged  after  one  another,  one  by  one, 
but  Shif'less  Sol  was  not  unhappy.  He  was  really 
quite  willing  to  keep  the  watch,  and,  as  Tom  Ross 
had  done,  he  regarded  his  sleeping  comrades  with 
pride,  and  all  the  warmth  of  good  fellowship. 

83 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

The  night  was  dark,  like  its  predecessor.  The 
moon's  rays  fell  only  in  uneven  streaks,  and  revealed 
a  singular  scene,  a  forest  standing  knee  deep,  as  it 
were,  in  water. 

Shif'less  Sol  presently  took  one  of  the  blankets  and 
wrapped  it  around  his  shoulders.  A  cold  damp  per 
vaded  the  atmosphere,  and  a  fog  began  to  rise  from 
the  river.  The  shiftless  one  was  a  cautious  man  and 
he  knew  the  danger  of  chills  and  fever.  His  com 
rades  were  already  well  wrapped,  but  he  stepped 
softly  over  and  drew  Paul's  blanket  a  little  closer 
around  his  neck.  Then  he  resumed  his  seat,  main 
taining  his  silence. 

Shif'less  Sol  did  not  like  the  rising  of  the  river 
fog.  It  was  thick  and  cold,  it  might  be  unhealthy, 
and  it  hid  the  view.  His  circle  of  vision  steadily 
narrowed.  Tree  trunks  became  ghostly,  and  then 
were  gone.  The  water,  seen  through  the  fog,  had 
a  pallid,  unpleasant  color.  Eye  became  of  little  use, 
and  it  was  ear  upon  which  the  sentinel  must  depend. 

Shif'less  Sol  judged  that  it  was  about  midnight, 
and  he  became  troubled.  The  sixth  sense,  that  comes 
of  acute  natural  perceptions  fortified  by  long  habit, 
was  giving  him  warning.  It  seemed  to  him  that  he 
felt  the  approach  of  something.  He  raised  himself 
up  a  little  higher  and  stared  anxiously  into  the  thick 
mass  of  white  fog.  He  could  make  out  nothing  but 
a  little  patch  of  water  and  a  few  ghostly  tree  trunks 
near  by.  Even  the  stern  of  the  boat  was  half  hidden 
by  the  fog. 

"  Wa'al,"  thought  the  shiftless  one  philosophic- 

84 


ON  THE  GREAT  RIVER 

ally,  "  ef  it's  hard  fur  me  to  find  anything  it'll  be 
hard  fur  anything  to  find  us." 

But  his  troubled  mind  would  not  be  quiet.  Phi 
losophy  was  not  a  sufficient  reply  to  the  warning  of 
the  sixth  sense,  and,  leaning  far  over  the  edge  of  the 
boat,  he  listened  with  ears  long  trained  to  every 
sound  of  the  wilderness.  He  heard  only  the  stray 
murmur  of  the  wind  among  the  leaves  —  and  was 
that  a  ripple  in  the  water?  He  strained  his  ears  and 
decided  that  it  was  either  a  ripple  or  the  splash  of 
a  fish,  and  he  sank  back  again  in  his  seat. 

Although  he  had  resumed  his  old  position,  the 
shiftless  one  was  not  satisfied.  The  feeling  of  ap 
prehension,  like  a  mysterious  mental  signal,  was  not 
effaced.  That  thick,  whitish  fog  was  surcharged 
with  an  alien  quality,  and  slowly  he  raised  himself  up 
once  more.  Hark!  was  it  the  ripple  again?  He 
rose  half  to  his  feet,  and  instantly  his  eye  caught  a 
glimpse  of  something  brown  upon  the  edge  of  the 
boat.  It  was  a  human  hand,  the  brown,  powerful 
hand  of  a  savage. 

The  glance  of  Shif'less  Sol  followed  the  hand  and 
saw  a  brown  face  emerging  from  the  water  and  fog. 
Quick  as  a  flash  he  fired.  There  was  a  terrible,  un 
earthly  cry,  the  hand  slipped  from  the  boat  and  the 
head  sank  from  view. 

"Up!  up!  boys!"  cried  Sol  in  thunderous  tones. 
'  We're  attacked  by  swimmin'  savages !  " 

He  snatched  up  one  of  the  double-barreled  pistols 
and  fired  at  another  head  on  the  water.  The  others 
were  awake  in  an  instant  and  rose  up,  rifles  in  hand. 

85 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

But  they  saw  only  a  splash  of  blood  on  the  stream 
that  was  gone  in  a  moment,  then  the  thick,  whitish 
fog  closed  in  again,  and  after  that  silence!  But 
they  knew  Sol  too  well  to  doubt  him,  and  the  mo 
mentary  red  splash  would  have  converted  even  the 
ignorant. 

"  Lie  low!"  exclaimed  Henry.  "Everybody 
down  behind  the  sides  of  the  boat!  They  may  fire 
at  any  time !  " 

The  boat  was  built  of  thick  timber,  -through  which 
no  bullet  of  that  time  could  go,  and  they  crouched 
down,  merely  peeping  over  the  edges  and  present 
ing  scarcely  any  target.  They  had  their  own  rifles 
and  the  extra  fowling  pieces  and  pistols  were  made 
ready,  also. 

But  nothing  came  from  the  great  pall  of  whitish 
fog,  and  the  silence  was  chilly  and  heavy.  It  was 
the  most  uncanny  thing  in  all  Paul's  experience.  Be 
yond  a  doubt  they  were  surrounded  by  savage  ene 
mies,  but  from  which  side  they  would  come,  and 
when,  nobody  could  tell  until  they  were  at  the  very 
side  of  the  boat. 

"  How  many  did  you  see,  Sol?  "  whispered  Henry. 

"  Only  two,  but  one  of  'em  won't  ever  attack  us 
again." 

"  The  others  must  be  near  by  in  their  canoes,  and 
the  swimmers  may  have  been  scouts  and  skirmishers. 
They  know  where  we  are,  but  we  don't  know  where 
they  are." 

"  That's  so,"  said  Shif'less  Sol,  "  an'  it  gives  'em 
an  advantage." 

86 


ON  THE  GREAT  RIVER 

"  Which,  perhaps,  we  can  take  from  'em  by  mov 
ing  our  own  boat." 

Henry  was  about  to  put  his  plan  into  action,  but 
they  heard  a  light  splash  in  the  water  to  the  west, 
and  another  to  the  north.  Spots  of  piercing  red 
light  appeared  in  the  fog,  and  many  rifles  cracked. 
Fortunately,  all  had  thrown  themselves  down,  and 
the  bullets  spent  themselves  in  the  wood  of  the  boat's 
side.  Henry  and  Sol  and  Tom  fired  back  at  the 
flashes,  but  more  rifle  shots  came  out  of  the  fog,  and 
those  on  the  boat  had  no  way  of  telling  whether  any 
of  their  bullets  had  hit. 

"  I  think  we'd  better  hold  our  fire,"  whispered 
Henry  between  rifle  shots.  "  It's  wasting  bullets  to 
shoot  at  a  fog." 

The  others  nodded  and  waited.  A  long  cry, 
quavering  at  first,  and  then  rising  to  a  fierce  top  note 
to  die  away  later  in  a  ferocious,  wolfish  whine  came 
through  the  fog.  It  was  uttered  by  many  throats, 
and  in  the  uncanny,  whitish  gloom  it  seemed  to  be 
on  all  sides  of  them.  Then  shouts  and  shots  both 
ceased  and  the  heavy  silence  came  again. 

"  Now  is  our  time,"  whispered  Henry.  "  Paul, 
steer  southward.  Jim,  you  and  Tom  row,  and  Sol 
and  I  will  be  ready  with  the  guns.  Keep  your  heads 
down  as  low  as  you  can." 

Jim  Hart  and  Tom  Ross  took  the  oars,  pulling 
them  through  the  water  with  extreme  caution  and 
slowness.  All  knew  that  sharp  ears  were  listening 
in  the  flooded  forest,  and  the  splash  of  oars  would 
bring  the  war  canoes  at  once.  But  they  were  de- 

8? 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

termined  that  the  fog  which  was  such  a  help  to  their 
enemies  should  be  an  equal  help  to  them  also. 

Slowly  the  heavy  boat  crept  through  the  water. 
Paul,  at  the  tiller,  steered  with  judgment  and  craft, 
and  his  was  no  light  task.  Now  and  then  low  boughs 
were  lapped  in  the  water  and  bushes  submerged  to 
their  tops  grew  in  the  way.  To  become  tangled  in 
them  might  be  fatal  and  to  scrape  against  them  would 
be  a  signal  to  their  enemies,  but  Paul  steered  clear 
every  time. 

They  had  gone  perhaps  fifty  yards  when  Henry 
gave  a  signal  to  stop  and  Jim  and  Tom  rested  on 
their  oars.  Then  they  heard  a  burst  of  firing  be 
hind  them,  and  a  smile  of  saturnine  triumph  spread 
slowly  but  completely  over  the  face  of  Shif'less  Sol. 

"  They're  shootin'  at  the  place  whar  we  wuz,  an' 
whar  we  ain't  now,"  he  whispered  to  Henry. 

"  Yes,'7  Henry  whispered  back,  "  they  haven't 
found  out  yet  that  we've  left,  but  they  are  likely  to 
do  it  pretty  soon.  I  hope  now  that  this  fog  will 
hang  on  just  as  thick  as  it  can.  Start  up  again, 
boys." 

"  'Twould  be  funny,"  whispered  Sol,  "  ef  the  sav 
ages  should  find  us  an'  chase  us  right  into  the  bosoms 
o'  the  Spaniards." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Henry,  "  and  for  that  reason  I 
think  we'd  better  bend  around  a  circle  and  then  go 
up  stream.  I'll  tell  Paul  to  steer  that  way." 

They  went  on  again,  creeping  through  the  white 
darkness;  fifty  yards  or  so  at  a  time,  and  then  a  pause 
to  listen.  Henry  judged  that  they  were  about  a  hali 

88 


ON  THE  GREAT  RIVER 

mile  from  their  original  anchorage,  when  the  solemn 
note  of  an  owl  arose,  to  be  answered  by  a  similar  note 
from  another  point. 

"  They've  discovered  our  departure,"  he  whis 
pered,  "  and  they're  telling  it  to  each  other.  I  im 
agine  that  their  war  canoes  will  now  come  in  a  kind 
of  half  circle  toward  the  center  of  the  river.  They'll 
guess  that  we  won't  retreat  toward  the  land,  because 
then  we  might  be  hemmed  in." 

"  No  doubt  of  it,"  replied  Sol,  "  and  I  think  we'd 
better  pull  off  toward  the  north  now.  Mebbe  we  kin 
give  'em  the  clip." 

Henry  gave  the  word  and  Paul  steered  the  boat 
in  the  chosen  course.  The  forest  grew  thinner, 
showing  that  they  were  approaching  the  true  stream, 
but  the  fog  held  fast.  After  a  hundred  yards  or 
so  they  stopped  again,  and  then  they  distinctly  heard 
the  sound  of  paddles  to  their  right.  It  was  not  a  great 
splash,  but  they  knew  it  well.  Paul,  at  the  tiller, 
fancied  that  he  could  see  the  faces  of  the  savages 
bending  over  their  paddles.  They  were  eager,  he- 
knew,  for  their  prey,  and  either  chance  or  instinct 
had  brought  them  through  the  white  pall  in  the  right 
course. 

The  uncertainty,  the  fog,  and  the  great  mysterious 
river  weighed  upon  Paul.  He  wished,  for  a  mo* 
ment,  that  the  vapors  might  lift,  and  then  they  could 
fight  their  enemies  face  to  face.  He  glanced  at  his 
own  comrades  and  they  had  taken  on  an  unearthly 
look.  Their  forms  became  gigantic  and  unreal  in 
the  white  darkness.  As  Henry  leaned  forward  to 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

listen  better  his  figure  was  distorted  like  that  of  a  mis 
shapen  giant. 

"  Steer  straight  toward  the  north,  Paul,"  he 
whispered.  "  We  must  shake  them  off  somehow  or 
other." 

Silently  the  boat  slid  through  the  water  but  they 
heard  again  those  signal  cries,  the  hoots  of  the  owl 
and  now  they  were  much  nearer. 

"  They  must  have  guessed  our  course,"  whispered 
Henry,  "  or  perhaps  they  have  heard  the  splash  of 
an  oar  now  and  then.  Stop,  boys,  and  let's  see  if 
we  can  hear  their  canoes." 

Their  boat  lay  under  the  thick,  spreading  boughs 
of  some  oaks.  Paul  could  see  the  branches  and  twigs 
showing  overhead  through  the  white  fog  like  lace 
work,  but  everything  else  was  invisible  twenty  feet 
away.  All  heard,  however,  now  and  then  the  faint 
splash,  splash  of  paddles,  perhaps  a  hundred  yards 
distant.  Henry  tried  to  tell  from  the  sounds  how 
many  war  canoes  might  be  in  the  party,  and  he  haz 
arded  a  wild  guess  of  twenty.  As  he  listened,  the 
splash  grew  a  little  louder.  Obviously  the  canoes 
were  keeping  on  the  right  course.  Shif'less  Sol  wet 
his  finger  and  held  it  up.  When  he  took  it  down  he 
whispered  in  some  alarm  to  Henry: 

"  The  wind  has  begun  to  blow,  an'  it's  shore  to 
rise.  It'll  blow  the  fog  away,  an'  we'll  lay  in  plain 
sight  o'  all  o'  them  savages." 

Henry's  instinct  for  generalship  rose  at  once  and 
he  saw  a  plan. 

u  We  must  keep  on  for  midstream,"  he  said. 
90 


ON  THE  GREAT  RIVER 

"  We  know  what  direction  that  is,  and,  out  in  open 
water,  we'd  have  one  advantage  even  over  their  num 
bers.  Theirs  are  only  light  canoes,  while  ours  is  a 
big  strong  boat  that  will  shelter  us  from  any  bullet. 
Pull  away,  boys !  I'll  help  Sol  keep  up  the  watch." 

The  boat  once  more  resumed  its  progress  toward 
the  main  current.  The  wind,  as  Sol  had  predicted, 
rapidly  grew  stronger.  The  deep  curtain  of  fog 
began  to  thin  and  lighten.  Suddenly  a  canoe  ap 
peared  through  it  and  then  a  second. 

A  bullet,  fired  from  the  first  canoe,  whizzed  dan 
gerously  near  the  head  of  Shif'less  Sol.  He  replied 
instantly,  but  the  light  was  so  uncertain  and  tricky 
that  he  missed  the  savage  at  whom  he  had  aimed. 
The  heavy  bullet  instead  ploughed  through  the  side 
and  bottom  of  the  bark  canoe,  which  rapidly  filled  and 
sank,  leaving  its  occupants  struggling  in  the  water.  A 
bullet  had  come  from  the  second  canoe,  also,  but  it 
flew  wild,  and  then  the  whitish  fog,  thick  and  im 
penetrable,  caught  by  a  contrary  current  of  wind, 
closed  in  again. 

"  Did  you  hit  anything,  Sol?  "  asked  Henry. 

"  Only  a  canoe,  but  I  busted  it  all  up,  an'  they're 
swimmin'  from  tree  to  tree  until  they  get  to  the 
bank." 

'  Now,  boys,  pull  with  all  your  might !  "  exclaimed 
Henry,  "  and,  Paul,  you  steer  us  clear  of  trees,  brush, 
logs,  and  snags.  They  know  where  we  are  and  we 
must  get  out  into  the  stream,  where  there's  a  chance 
for  our  escape." 

Then  ensued  a  flight  and  running  combat  in  a 
9* 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

tricky  fog  that  lifted  and  closed  down  over  and  over 
again.  Henry  put  down  his  oars  presently  and  took 
up  his  rifle,  but  Jim  Hart  and  Tom  Ross  continued 
to  pull,  and  Paul  kept  a  steady  hand  on  the  tiller. 

Paul's  task  was  the  most  trying  of  all.  Highly 
sensitive  and  imaginative,  this  battle  rolling  along  in 
alternate  dusky  light  and  white  obscurity,  was  to  him 
uncanny  and  unreal.  He  saw  pink  dots  of  rifle  fire 
in  the  fog,  he  caught  glimpses  now  and  then  of 
brown,  savage  faces  or  the  prow  of  a  canoe,  and 
then  the  heavy  fog  would  come  down  like  a  blanket 
again,  shutting  out  everything. 

Paul's  hand  trembled.  Every  nerve  in  him  was 
jumping,  but  he  resolutely  steered  the  boat  while  the 
others  rowed  and  fought.  Once  he  barely  grazed  a 
snag  and  he  shivered,  knowing  how  one  of  these  ter 
rible  obstructions  could  rip  the  bottom  out  of  a  boat. 
But  soon  the  trees  and  bushes  almost  disappeared. 
They  were  coming  into  open  water.  The  fog,  too, 
ceased  to  close  down,  and  the  wind  began  to  blow 
steadily  out  of  the  north.  Banks  and  streamers  of 
white  vapor  rolled  away  toward  the  south.  In 
a  few  minutes  it  would  all  be  gone.  Out  of  the 
mists  behind  them  rose  the  shapes  of  war  canoes  not 
far  away,  and  the  fierce  triumphant  yell  that  swept 
far  over  the  river  sent  a  chill  to  Paul's  very  marrow. 
Once  again  rose  the  rifle  fire,  and  it  was  now  a  rapid 
and  steady  crackle,  but  the  bullets  thudded  in  vain  on 
the  thick  sides  of  "  The  Galleon." 

All  except  Paul  now  pulled  desperately  for  the 
middle  of  the  stream,  while  he,  bending  as  low  as 

92 


Bend  low.,  you  fellows,   and  pull  with  all  the  might  that's 


in  you. 


[Page  93.] 


ON  THE  GREAT  RIVER 

he  could,  still  kept  a  steady  hand  on  the  tiller.  The 
triumphant  shout  behind  them  rose  again,  and  the 
great  stream  gave  it  back  in  a  weird  echo.  Paul 
suddenly  uttered  a  gasp  of  despair.  Directly  in 
front  of  them,  not  thirty  yards  away,  was  a  large  war 
canoe,  crowded  with  a  dozen  savages  while  behind 
them  came  the  horde. 

"What  is  it,  Paul?"  asked  Henry. 

"  A  big  canoe  in  front  of  us  full  of  warriors. 
We're  cut  off!  No,  we're  not!  I  have  it!  Bend 
low!  bend  low,  you  fellows,  and  pull  with  all  the 
might  that's  in  you !  " 

Paul  had  an  inspiration,  and  his  blood  was  leap 
ing.  The  rifle  shots  still  rattled  behind  them,  but, 
as  usual,  the  bullets  buried  themselves  in  the  wood 
with  a  sigh,  doing  no  harm.  Four  pairs  of  power 
ful  arms  and  four  powerful  shoulders  bent  suddenly 
to  their  task  with  new  strength  and  vigor.  Paul's 
words  had  been  electric,  thrilling,  and  every  one  felt 
their  impulse  instantly.  The  prow  of  the  heavy  boat 
cut  swiftly  through  the  water,  and  Paul  bent  still 
lower  to  escape  the  rifle-shots.  No  need  for  him  to 
choose  his  course  now !  The  boat  was  already  sent 
upon  its  errand. 

A  wild  shout  of  alarm  rose  from  the  war  canoe, 
and  the  next  instant  the  prow  of  "  The  Galleon  " 
struck  it  squarely  in  the  middle.  There  were  more 
shouts  of  alarm  or  pain,  a  crunching,  ripping  and 
breaking  of  wood,  and  then  "  The  Galleon,"  after 
its  momentary  check,  went  on.  The  war  canoe  had 
been  cut  in  two,  and  its  late  occupants  were  swimming 

93 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

for  their  lives.  Not  in  vain  had  Paul  read  in  an  old 
Roman  history  of  the  battles  between  the  fleets  when 
galley  cut  down  galley. 

Henry,  although  he  did  not  look  up,  knew  at  once 
what  had  happened,  and  he  could  not  restrain  ad 
miration  and  praise. 

"Good  for  you,  Paul!"  he  cried.  "You  took 
us  right  over  the  war  canoe  and  that's  what's  likely 
to  save  us !  " 

Henry  was  right.  The  other  canoes,  appalled 
by  the  disaster,  and  busy,  too,  in  picking  up  the  der 
elicts,  hung  back.  Henry  and  Shif'less  Sol  took  ad 
vantage  of  the  opportunity,  and  sent  bullet  after 
bullet  among  them,  aiming  more  particularly  at  the 
light  bark  canoes.  Three  filled  and  began  to  sink 
and  their  occupants  had  to  be  rescued.  The  utmost 
confusion  and  consternation  reigned  in  the  savage 
fleet,  and  the  distance  between  it  and  "  The  Galleon  " 
widened  rapidly  as  the  latter  bore  in  a  diagonal 
course  across  the  Mississippi. 

"  They've  had  all  they  want,"  said  Henry,  as  he 
laid  down  his  rifle  and  took  up  the  oars  again,  "  but 
it's  this  big  heavy  boat  that's  saved  us.  She's  been 
a  regular  floating  fort." 

"  We  took  our  gall-yun  just  in  time,"  said  Shif'less 
Sol  jubilantly,  "  an'  she  is  shore  the  greatest  war 
ship  that  ever  floated  on  these  waters.  Oh,  she's  a 
fine  boat,  a  beautiful  boat,  the  reg'lar  King  o'  the 
seas!" 

"  Queen,  you  mean,"  said  Paul,  who  felt  the  re 
action. 

94 


ON  THE  GREAT  RIVER 

"  No,  King  it  is,"  replied  Sol  stoutly.  "  A  boat 
that  carries  travelers  may  be  a  she,  but  shorely  one 
that  fights  like  this  is  a  he." 

The  fog  was  gone,  save  for  occasional  wisps  of 
white  mist,  but  the  day  had  not  yet  come,  and  the 
night  was  by  no  means  light.  When  they  looked 
back  again  they  could  not  see  any  of  the  Indian  ca 
noes.  Apparently  they  had  retreated  into  the  flooded 
forest.  Henry  and  Sol  held  a  consultation. 

"  It's  hard  to  pull  up  stream,"  said  Henry,  "  and 
we'd  exhaust  ourselves  doing  it.  Besides,  if  the 
Indians  chose  to  renew  the  pursuit,  that  would  cut 
us  off  from  our  own  purpose.  We  must  drop  down 
the  river  toward  the  Spanish  camp." 

"  You're  always  right,  Henry,"  said  the  shiftless 
one  with  conviction.  "  The  Spaniards  o'  course, 
know  nothin'  about  our  fight,  ez  they  wuz  much  too 
fur  off  to  hear  the  shots,  an',  ez  we  go  down  that 
way,  the  savages  likely  will  think  that  we  belong  to 
the  party,  which  is  too  strong  for  them  to  attack. 
This  must  be  some  band  that  Braxton  Wyatt  don't 
know  nothin'  about.  Maybe  it's  a  gang  o'  southern 
Indians  that's  come  away  up  here  in  canoes." 

The  boat  swung  close  to  the  western  shore,  which 
was  overhung  throughout  by  heavy  forests,  and  then 
dropped  silently  down  until  it  came  within  two  miles 
of  the  Spanish  camp.  There,  in  a  particularly  dark 
cove,  they  tied  up  to  a  tree,  and  drew  mighty  breaths 
of  relief.  Both  Henry  and  Paul  telt  an  intense  glad 
ness.  Despite  all  the  dangers  and  hardships  through 
which  they  had  gone,  they  were  but  boys. 

95 


CHAPTER  VI 

BATTLE   AND   STORM 

IT  was  yet  dark,  in  fact  much  darker  than  it  had 
been  just  after  the  fog  lifted,  and  the  dawn  was 
a  full  three  hours  away.  Although  the  flooded 
area  of  forest  on  the  western  shore  was  much  less 
than  on  the  eastern,  it  was  sufficient  to  furnish  am 
ple  concealment  for  the  boat,  and,  when  they  tied  up 
amid  dense  foliage,  they  could  not  see  the  main 
stream  behind  them. 

Jim  Hart  laid  down  his  oars,  stood  up,  and  care 
fully  cracked  his  joints. 

"  I  am  tired,"  he  said.  "  Never  wuz  I  so  tired 
afore  in  my  life." 

"  But,  Jim,"  said  Shif'less  Sol,  "  Think  what  a 
pow'ful  lively  naval  battle  you  hev  been  through. 
Ef  you  ever  git  a  wife  —  which  I  doubt,  'cause  you 
ain't  beautiful,  Jim  —  you  kin  tell  her  how  once  you 
rowed  right  over  a  great  Injun  warship.  Mebbe, 
Jim,  she'll  believe  all  them  fancy  details  you'll  stick 
on  to  it." 

"  I  know  I  ain't  beautiful,"  said  Long  Jim 
thoughtfully,  "an'  I  don't  know  ez  I  want  to  be,  but 
ef  any  woman  wuz  to  marry  me  she'd  most  likely 
believe  whatever  I  told  her,  bein'  ez  I  hev  a  truthful 


BATTLE  AND  STORM 

countenance,  but  ez  fur  you,  Sol,  anybody  kin  tell  by 
lookin'  at  you  that  ef  you  wuz  to  ketch  in  this  river 
a  little  cat-fish  six  inches  long  you'd  tell  them  that 
didn't  know  that  it  wuz  a  whale." 

"  Seems  to  me,"  said  Tom  Ross,  "  that  I  wuz 
waked  up  kinder  suddint  a  few  hours  ago.  I  wuz 
in  the  middle  uv  a  most  bee-yu-ti-ful  nap,  and  I  know 
right  whar  I  stopped  it.  I'm  goin'  back  an'  pick  up 
that  nap  at  the  exact  place  whar  I  left  off." 

Without  another  word  he  pulled  his  blanket  over 
him  and  stretched  himself  on  a  seat.  In  a  minute  or 
two  he  was  sound  asleep.  Tom  Ross  was  a  veteran 
campaigner.  He  not  only  knew  what  to  do,  but 
he  could  and  would  do  it. 

"  Paul,  you  and  Jim  follow  him,"  said  Henry, 
"  I'll  keep  what's  left  of  the  watch  with  Sol." 

Jim  was  treading  the  easy  path  of  slumber  in  five 
minutes,  but  it  took  Paul  at  least  ten  to  pass  through 
the  gates.  Henry  and  Sol  sat  in  the  boat,  silent  but 
watchful. 

;<  We're  between  two  fires,"  whispered  Henry  at 
last.  "  I  don't  think  that  war  party  will  give  up  just 
yet,  and  maybe  we'd  better  stick  here  in  the  woods  for 
a  while,  on  the  chance  that  they  think  we  belong  to 
the  Spanish  force  and  have  rejoined  it." 

'  We've  got  to  stay  in  hidin'  fur  a  spell,  that's 
shore,"  said  Shif'less  Sol.  "  We  might  stick  here  all 
day.  We  kin  overtake  the  Spaniards  any  time,  cause 
we  have  only  one  road  to  foller  an'  that's  the  river." 

Henry  nodded  and  they  settled  back  to  the  watch 
and  silence.  Their  three  comrades  stretched  on  seats, 

97 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

lockers,  or  the  boat's  bottom,  slept  soundly,  and  they 
could  hear  their  regular  breathing.  But  they  heard 
nothing  else  save  the  light  lapping  of  the  water 
against  the  tree  trunks. 

Dawn  came,  golden  and  beautiful.  Tom  Ross 
opened  his  eyes. 

"  Anything  happened?"  he  asked. 

"  No,"  replied  Henry,  "  and  we  are  not  going  to 
move  yet.  Sleep  on." 

Tom  closed  his  eyes  again,  and  in  a  minute  was 
back  in  the  pleasant  land  of  slumber.  The  other 
two  did  not  awake  and  Henry  and  Sol  still  did  not 
stir.  From  the  leafy  arbor  in  which  "  The  Galleon  " 
was  moored,  they  were  intently  watching  the  surface 
of  the  river.  An  hour  passed  and  the  sun  rose  higher 
and  higher,  flooding  the  surface  of  the  great  stream 
with  golden  beams. 

"  Do  you  see  anything,  Henry?  "  asked  Sol. 

"  Yes,  I  think  there's  a  canoe  among  the  trees  on 
the  opposite  shore." 

"  I  reckoned  that  I  saw  it,  too,  but  I  wuzn't  cer 
tain.  Must  be  a  scout  canoe." 

"  Do  you  see  anything  to  the  southward,  Sol?  " 

"  I  reckoned  that  I  saw  somethin'  thar,  too,  an'  I 
took  it  fur  smoke." 

"  The  Spanish  camp,  of  course." 

"  O'  course." 

"  And  I  think  the  Indians  are  spying  upon  it. 
They  are  quite  sure  now  that  we  were  a  part  of  the 
Spanish  force." 

"  They  think  they  know  it,  an'  they'll  hang  'roun' 


BATTLE  AND  STORM 

until  to-night,  when  they're  more'n  likely  to  shoot 
into  the  Spanish  camp." 

44  Which  won't  hurt  us,  Sol." 

44  Not  a  leetle  bit.  We  kin  sing  all  the  time,  c  dog 
eat  dog,  go  it  one,  go  it  tother.'  ' 

44  Instead  of  singing,"  said  Henry  smiling,  4<  we 
can  put  in  most  of  the  time  sleeping." 

44  Both  please  me,"  said  Shif'less  Sol,  rubbing  his 
hands  gleefully. 

Everything  befell  as  they  thought  it  would.  Other 
canoes  appeared  at  the  edge  of  the  wood  on  the  far 
shore,  but  on  every  occasion  further  down  the  river. 
There  was  no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  the  watchful 
observers  aboard  u  The  Galleon"  that  they  were 
spying  upon  the  Spanish  camp  and  meditated  an  at 
tack  at  night.  It  was  equally  certain  that  the  Span 
iards  knew  nothing  of  the  Indians'  presence.  All  the 
five  were  now  awake  and  they  rejoiced  at  the  pros 
pect. 

;'  I  see  an  easy  day  comin'  to  me,"  said  Shif'less 
Sol  luxuriously.  'Tain't  often  that  a  lazy  man 
like  me  kin  hev  sech  a  good  time  an'  I'm  goin'  to 
make  the  most  o'  it." 

44  I  think,"  said  Henry,  44  that  while  the  Indians 
are  busy  with  the  Spaniards  we'd  better  try  to  fix  up 
that  sail.  We  don't  need  a  tent  and  we  do  need  a 
sail.  Some  time  or  other,  when  we  get  in  a  pinchT 
the  sail  might  do  the  pulling,  leaving  the  rowers  free 
to  use  their  rifles." 

4  Jest  ez   I  might   hev  expected,"   said  Sol   in   a 
tone  of  disgust.   44  All  ready   for  rest,   fixed   fur  it 

99 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

most  bee-yu-ti-ful-ly,  an'  told  instead  that  I  must  go 
to  work.     This  world  shorely  ain't  kind  to  a  good 


man." 


Once  more  the  staunch  ship,  "  The  Galleon," 
proved  herself  to  be  a  treasure  house.  They  found 
in  the  lockers  plenty  of  rope  and  stout  cord,  and  they 
cut  in  the  forest  a  stout  young  sapling  which  they 
made  of  the  right  length,  peeled  off  the  bark,  and 
adjusted  in  rude  fashion,  as  a  mast.  They  also  made 
a  boom  and  then  rigged  a  single  sail,  somewhat  after 
the  fashion  of  the  cat-boat  of  the  present  day. 

This  would  have  been  an  impossible  task  to  them, 
had  not  "  The  Galleon  "  been  so  well  provided  with 
axes,  saws,  hammers,  other  valuable  tools,  and  cord 
and  nails.  The  mast  could  be  taken  down  in  an  emer 
gency,  but  they  were  all  of  the  opinion  that  the  sail 
would  draw,  and  draw  well.  It  might  not  always  be 
easy  to  control  it,  but  u  The  Galleon  "  was  built  in 
Spanish  fashion,  heavy,  deep,  and  square,  and  it 
would  take  a  great  deal  to  make  her  capsize. 

While  the  others  worked  one  watched,  and  the 
boats  of  the  Indians  were  seen  again  at  the  edge  of 
the  far  forest.  The  last  time  they  saw  them  they 
were  so  far  down  that  they  were  almost  opposite  the 
point  where  the  Spaniards  lay,  which  indicated  two 
things  to  them,  first  the  certainty  that  Alvarez  had 
not  moved,  and  second  that  "  The  Galleon  "  and  her 
crew  were  absolutely  safe  for  the  time  being,  where 
they  lay. 

"  I  suppose  that  Alvarez  is  in  no  hurry  and  decided 
to  take  a  day  of  rest,"  said  Henry. 

100 


BATTLE  AND  STORM 

They  finished  their  own  labors  late  in  the  after 
noon  and  contemplated  the  mast  and  sail  with  pride. 

"  Now  that  it's  done,  I'm  glad  that  it  hez  been 
done,"  said  Shif  less  Sol.  "  It'll  save  me  a  lot  o' 
work  hereafter.  It  would  be  jest  like  you  fellers  to 
make  me  git  callous  spots  all  over  the  inside  o'  my 
hands,  when  the  hide  on  Jim  Hart's  is  already  so 
thick  it  wouldn't  hurt  him  to  do  all  his  rowin'  an' 
mine,  too." 

"  I  jest  love  to  see  you  work,  Sol,"  said  Long  Jim 
Hart.  u  I  can't  enjoy  my  rest  real  good,  'less  at  the 
same  time  I'm  layin'  on  my  back  watchin'  you  heavin' 
away." 

Nevertheless,  all  took  a  long  rest  though  maintain 
ing  a  vigilant  watch,  and,  with  pleasure,  they  saw  a 
dark  night  come  on.  When  the  twilight  was  com 
pletely  gone  they  steered  once  more  for  the  main 
stream,  not  using  their  sail  yet,  because  of  the  boughs 
and  bushes. 

'  We've  got  to  keep  in  the  edge  of  the  forest," 
whispered  Henry,  and  in  that  manner  they  crept 
cautiously  southward.  After  a  while  they  stopped 
suddenly  and  all  exclaimed  together.  They  distinctly 
heard  the  sound  of  rifle  shots  straight  toward  the 
south  and  perhaps  a  mile  away. 

'  The  savages  hev  attacked,"  said  Shif'less  Sol  in  a 
whisper.  "  Go  it,  Spaniard,  go  it,  Injun,  one  may 
lick  and  tother  may  lick,  but  whether  one  may  lick 
tother  or  tother  lick  which,  I  don't  care." 

They  pulled  a  little  nearer  to  the  last  line  of  trees 
in  the  water  and  there  off  to  the  south  they  saw  thp 

JOI 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

little  pinkish  dots  that  marked  the  rifle  and  musket 
fire.  It  was  too  far  away  for  them  to  see  anything 
else,  but  they  heard  distinctly  the  intermittent  crackle 
of  the  shots. 

"Neither  will  win,"  said  Henry.  "  The  Span- 
iards  are  too  strong  to  be  defeated,  but  they  won't 
venture  the  unknown  terrors  of  the  river  at  night. 
The  Indians,  who  are  in  their  canoes,  will  draw  off 
when  they  find  they  are  not  doing  much  harm." 

14  Wish  we  could  put  up  that  sail,"  said  Shif  less 
Sol,  who  was  still  at  the  oars.  "  I'm  shore  gittin' 
a  callous  lump  in  the  pa'm  o'  my  hand." 

"  It  wouldn't  do,  Sol,"  said  Henry.  "  We're  go 
ing  to  run  past  a  battle,  and  we  mean  to  lie  as  low 
as  possible." 

Paul  again  steered,  Henry  sat,  rifle  in  hand,  and 
the  others  rowed.  They  took  a  diagonal  course 
across  the  stream  once  more,  but  this  time  toward 
the  eastern  shore.  They  advanced  slowly,  hugging 
the  dark.  Fortunately  there  was  no  moon  and  the 
dusk  came  close  up  to  the  boat. 

"That's  a  right  noisy  fight,"  said  Shif'less  Sol, 
looking  toward  the  south,  where  pink  and  red  spots 
of  flame  still  appeared  in  the  dark  and  the  rattling 
fire  of  rifle  and  musket  grew  louder. 

"  More  noise  than  anything  else,"  said  Tom  Ross, 
"  but  it  keeps  'em  pow'ful  busy  an'  that's  a  good 
thing  fur  us." 

They  were  now  near  the  flooded  forest  on  the  east 
ern  shore,  and  they  moved  slowly  along  in  its  shadow, 
still  watching  the  distant  battle.  It  lightened  a  lit- 

102 


BATTLE  AND  STORM 

tie,  the  rim  of  a  moon  came  out,  and  they  saw  to 
ward  the  western  bank  the  dark  silhouettes  of  canoes 
moving  back  and  forth  on  the  water.  Flashes  came 
from  the  canoes  and  returning  flashes  came  from  the 
bank. 

"  Go  it,  Spaniard,  go  it,  Injun,  go  it,  one,  go  it, 
tother,"  muttered  Shif'less  Sol  again. 

"  The  Galleon  "  slowly  passed  by  in  the  darkness. 
The  pink  and  red  dots  went  out  and  the  sound  of  the 
rifle  fire  died  behind  hem.  They  could  neither  see 
nor  hear  anything  more  of  the  battle,  and  all  were  of 
the  opinion  that  it  would  soon  cease  by  a  sort  of  mu 
tual  agreement  of  the  contestants. 

Paul  once  more  turned  the  head  of  the  boat  to 
ward  the  middle  of  the  stream,  and  she  swung  gaily 
into  the  current,  where  her  speed  soon  increased 
greatly. 

"  We  can  fix  up  our  mast  and  hoist  our  sail  now," 
said  Henry.  "  Since  there  is  nobody  to  look,  it  won't 
hurt  us  to  make  speed  for  a  while." 

It  required  some  time  and  exertion  to  put  the 
mast  in  place  and  then  they  unfurled  the  sail.  They 
were  rather  clumsy  about  it  from  lack  of  experience, 
but  the  tent  cloth  filled  with  the  north  wind,  and 
'  The  Galleon  "  leaped  forward  in  the  water,  her 
broad  nose  parting  the  stream  swiftly,  while  the 
youthful  hearts  of  Henry  and  Paul  swelled  with  ex 
ultation. 

Shif'less  Sol  drew  in  his  oars  and  bestowed  upon 
the  sail  a  look  of  deep  approval. 

"  That's  the  most  glorious  sight  that  hez  met  the 
103 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

eyes  o'  a  tired  man  in  a  year,"  he  said.  "  Blow, 
Mr.  Wind,  blow !  an'  let  me  rest." 

The  others  also  rested,  but  Sol  and  Henry  put  all 
their  attention  upon  the  boom  and  sail.  They  did 
not  intend  to  be  wrecked  by  ignorance  or  any  sudden 
flaw  in  the  wind.  The  breeze,  however,  was  steady 
and  strong,  and  "  The  Galleon  "  continued  to  move 
gallantly  before  it. 

They  sailed  for  three  or  four  hours  and  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  time  they  coasted  along  the  western 
bank.  There  they  came  to  the  mouth  of  a  small 
river,  thickly  lined  on  both  shores  with  gigantic 
trees. 

"  I  think  we'd  better  take  down  our  sail  and  run 
up  this,"  said  Henry.  "  We  can  go  back  some  dis 
tance  and  hide  close  to  the  bank.  The  Spaniards  of 
course  will  not  dream  of  coming  up  it,  and  we  can 
stay  here  until  they  go  by." 

"  A  safe  and  pleasant  haven  as  long  as  it  is 
needed,"  said  Paul. 

They  took  down  the  sail  and  pulled  at  least  a 
mile  up  the  little  river.  There  they  tied  close  to  the 
bank,  and,  happy  over  their  success,  sought  sleep,  all 
except  the  watch,  the  night  passing  without  dis 
turbance. 

The  day  came,  again  unclouded  and  beautiful,  and 
the  five  regarded  it,  the  boat,  and  themselves  with 
a  great  deal  of  satisfaction. 

"  I'm  thinkin'  that  our  treasure  ship,  the  gall-yun, 
ought  to  hev  the  most  credit,"  said  Shif'less  Sol. 
"  She  brought  us  past  all  them  warrin'  people  in 

104 


BATTLE  AND  STORM 

great  style.     Without  her  we'd  hev  a  hard  time,  fol- 
lerin'  the  Spaniards  to  New  Or-lee-yuns." 

After  breakfast  they  remained  awhile  in  the  boat, 
content  to  lie  still  and  await  events.  Everywhere 
around  them  was  the  deep  forest,  oak,  hickory,  chest 
nut,  maple,  elm,  and  all  the  other  noble  trees  that 
flourish  in  the  great  valley.  Just  above  them  was  a 
low  point  in  the  bank  of  the  little  river  and  they 
could  see  that  it  was  trodden  by  many  feet. 

"  Game  comes  down  to  drink  thar,"  said  Shif'less 
Sol. 

"  Lie  still  and  let's  see,"  said  Paul. 

The  boat  was  almost  hidden  in  the  thick  foliage 
that  overhung  the  river,  and  nobody  on  it  stirred. 
Two  deer  presently  walked  gingerly  to  the  water, 
drank  daintily,  and  then  walked  as  gingerly  away. 
Soon  a  black  bear  followed  them  and  shambled  to 
the  water's  edge.  He  looked  up  and  down  the 
stream,  but  he  saw  nothing  and  the  wind  blowing 
from  him  toward  the  boat  brought  no  dread  odor 
to  his  sensitive  nostrils.  He  drank,  wrinkled  his  face 
in  a  comical  manner,  scratched  himself  with  hia 
left  paw,  and  then  shambled  away.  Shif'less  Sol 
laughed. 

"  I'd  hev  to  be  hard  pushed  afore  I  shot  that 
feller,"  he  said.  "  Ain't  the  black  bear  a  comic 
chap  when  he  tries  to  be.  I  declare  I  hev  a  real 
feller  feelin'  fur  him.  I  couldn't  ever  feel  that  way 
toward  a  panther.  They  always  look  mean  an'  they 
always  are  mean,  but  I  could  hobnob  right  along  with 
a  jolly,  fat  black  bear." 

105 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  Yes,"  said  Paul,  looking  dreamily  far  into  the  fu 
ture.  "  It's  a  pity  they  have  to  go." 

"  Hev  to  go,  what  do  you  mean,  Paul?"  inter 
rupted  Long  Jim  Hart,  as  he  cracked  a  joint  or  two. 

"  Why,"  replied  Paul,  u  all  this  country  will  be 
settled  up  some  day,  and  how  can  bears  and  panthers 
and  buffaloes  roam  wild  on  farms?  " 

Long  Jim  looked  at  him  with  eyes  slowly  widen 
ing  in  wonder. 

"  Paul,"  he  exclaimed,  "  you  do  say  the  beatinest 
things  sometimes !  Now  what  do  you  mean  by  sayin' 
that  all  this  country  will  be  settled  up?  Why,  thar 
ain't  enough  people  in  the  world  fur  that,  an'  thar 
won't  never  be." 

"  Yes  there  will  be,  Jim,"  said  Paul  decisively, 
"  although  it  will  not  occur  in  your  time." 

"  Not  if  I  lived  to  be  a  hundred  years  old,  Paul, 
or  mebbe  a  hundred  an'  twenty,  'cause  I'm  a  pow'ful 
healthy  man?  " 

"No,  not  if  you  lived  to  be  a  hundred  and 
twenty." 

Long  Jim  heaved  a  deep  sigh  of  relief  —  he  had 
the  true  soul  of  the  woodsman. 

"  That's  mighty  relievin'  an'  soothin',"  he  said. 
"  Think  uv  havin'  to  walk  every  day  through  cleared 
ground !  Think  uv  lookin'  every  day  fur  a  bee-yu-ti- 
ful  sky  only  to  see  cabin-smoke !  Think  uv  drawin* 
your  sights  on  what  you  fust  take  to  be  a  fine  buffalo, 
an'  then  find  out  is  only  your  neighbor's  old  cow ! 
Think  uv  your  goin'  off  to  a  river  to  trap  beaver,  an' 
findin'  nothin'  thar  but  a  saw-mill  1  Think  uv  your 

1 06 


BATTLE  AND  STORM 

havin'  to  meet  mornin'  an'  evenin'  all  kinds  uv  peo 
ple  that  you  don't  care  nothin'  about!  Think  uv 
your  goin'  out  on  a  great  huntin'  expedition  only  to 
find  all  them  noble  trees  cut  down  a  thousan'  miles 
every  way,  an'  nothin'  wanderin'  around  thar  but  old 
lame  horses  an'  gruntin'  pigs!  I'm  plum'  thankful 
that  I'm  livin'  at  the  time  I  do,  when  thar's  lots  uv 
countries  you  don't  know  nothin'  about,  an'  lots  uv 
fun  guessin'  what  they  are,  an'  mostly  guessin' 
wrong.  An'  I'm  glad  too  that  I  didn't  live  in  them 
old  days  that  Sol  tells  about,  when  people  had  to 
build  walls  around  theirselves  in  towns,  an'  wuz 
afraid  to  go  out  in  the  woods  an'  hunt  bear  an'  buf 
falo  like  men!" 

Jim  Hart,  after  this  speech,  so  long  for  him, 
stopped  for  want  of  breath,  and  Shif'less  Sol,  re 
garding  him  with  a  look  of  deep  sympathy,  held  out 
a  brown  and  sinewy  hand. 

"  Jim  Hart,"  he  said,  "  shake.  I'll  be  proud  to 
hev  you  do  it.  You  ain't  no  beauty,  Jim,  an'  some 
how  you  an'  me  are  kinder  disputatious  now  an' 
then,  but  you  are  lettin'  flow  at  this  minute  a  solid 
stream  o'  wisdom,  a  fountain,  ez  Paul  would  say  in 
his  highfalutin'  way,  at  which  everybody  ought  to 
drink." 

Jim  Hart  also  reached  out  a  brown  and  sinewy 
hand  and  the  two  met  in  a  powerful  and  friendly 
clasp. 

"  I'm  like  Jim,"  continued  Shif'less  Sol.  "  'Tain't 
what  you  git  that  makes  you  happy,  but  thar's  a  heap 
in  bein'  suited.  I'm  glad  I'm  livin'  when  I  am,  anT 

107 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

whar  I  am.  Me  an'  things  suit  each  other.  What 
Paul  says  may  come  true,  but  it  won't  bust  my  heart, 
'cause  I  won't  be  here  to  see  it." 

An  hour  or  so  later  Henry  and  Sol  went  through 
the  woods  and  watched  for  the  Spanish  fleet.  They 
saw  it  presently  moving  in  single  file  down  the  Mis 
sissippi,  and  showing,  so  far  as  they  could  judge, 
no  signs  of  damage. 

"  'Twas  ez  we  guessed  last  night  it  would  be,  a 
dogfall,"  said  Shif'less  Sol,  "  lots  o'  noise  and  not 
much  done.  Now  that  Injun  crowd  hez  drawed  off 
to  the  east,  an'  I  think  we've  seed  the  last  o'  them, 
while  the  Spaniards,  thinkin'  they've  had  enough  o' 
excitement,  will  keep  straight  on  to  New  Or-lee- 
yuns." 

"  I've  no  doubt  you're  right,"  said  Henry,  "  and 
we'll  follow  to-night.  We'll  let  them  take  a  good 
start." 

They  watched  the  little  fleet  until  it  passed  out  of 
sight  down  the  river  and  then  returned  to  their  own 
boat.  There  they  devoted  the  day  to  further  prep 
arations  for  a  long  journey.  As  game  was  close  at 
hand  in  such  abundance,  they  shot  two  deer  and  took 
the  meat  on  board.  They  also  undertook  to  pro 
vide  shelter,  as  this  was  the  period  of  the  spring  rains 
and  they  did  not  wish  to  be  drenched  or  have  their 
stores  damaged.  Fortunately  they  found  a  tarpaulin 
in  one  of  the  lockers  and,  taking  this  and  the  two 
deerskins,  they  united  all  in  a  larger  covering  which 
they  could  spread  over  nearly  the  whole  boat.  This 
all  considered  a  highly  important  task,  and  they  meant 

108 


BATTLE  AND  STORM 

to  enlarge  the  tarpaulin  still  more  as  they  killed  more 
deer.  Meanwhile  they  let  it  lie  in  the  sun,  in  order 
that  the  deerskins  might  dry. 

Their  tasks  occupied  them  until  about  10  o'clock 
at  night  and  then  they  decided  to  start  again,  think 
ing  that  night  traveling  would  be  safer  for  a  day  or 
two.  They  rowed  down  the  river  until  they  entered 
the  Mississippi,  and  then  they  set  their  sail  again. 

No  other  human  beings  were  afloat  on  the  river, 
at  least  not  within  the  range  of  their  vision,  but  there 
was  a  plenty  of  floating  trees  and  other  debris 
brought  down  by  the  spring  flood.  Careful  steering 
was  necessary,  but  they  went  on  without  any  acci 
dent.  Shif'less  Sol,  however,  gazed  up  at  the  moon 
with  an  unquiet  eye. 

"  She  looks  too  soft  an'  fleecy,"  he  said,  speaking 
of  the  moon.  '  When  she's  peepin'  through  them 
lacy-lookin'  clouds  it  means  that  trouble  is  about  to 
stir.'7 

"  We'll  keep  a  watch,"  said  Henry. 

They  continued  until  midnight  and  Sol's  troubles 
still  kept  off,  but  about  that  time  all  noticed  a  sudden 
increase  of  the  breeze,  accompanied  by  an  equal  in 
crease  of  dampness. 

"  Something  like  a  storm  is  coming  and  you  were 
right,  Sol,"  said  Henry.  "  Now,  I  wish  we  knew 
a  lot  about  sailing." 

"  But  as  we  don't,"  said  Paul,  "  I  think  we'd  better 
take  in  our  sail  at  once." 

They  quickly  did  so  and  their  precaution  was  wise. 
The  wind,  blowing  out  of  the  north,  began  to  shriek, 

109 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

and  the  boat,  even  without  the  aid  of  a  sail,  leaped 
forward.  Driving  clouds  suddenly  shut  out  the 
rnoon,  and  the  yellow  waters  of  the  giant  stream, 
lashed  by  the  wind,  began  to  heave  and  surge  in 
waves  like  those  of  the  sea.  The  treasure  ship,  "  The 
Galleon, "  pitched  and  rocked  like  a  real  galleon 
in  the  long  swells  of  the  Pacific,  but  the  five  knew 
that  she  was  perfectly  safe.  The  broad,  square  Span 
ish  boat  could  not  be  swamped. 

"  Thank  God,  we've  taken  in  that  sail,"  said 
Henry.  "We're  going  to  have  a  night  of  it!  Do 
you  think  we'd  better  pull  for  the  shore?  " 

"Not  now,"  replied  Shif'less  Sol,  "the  wind's 
risin'  too  fast,  an'  we'd  hit  a  tree  or  a  snag,  shore. 
Better  keep  ez  nearly  in  the  middle  o'  the  river  ez 
we  kin!" 

The  soundness  of  Sol's  judgment  became  apparent 
at  once.  The  shriek  of  the  wind  rose  to  a  scream 
and  then  a  roar.  The  night  became  pitchy  dark. 
They  could  see  nothing  around  them  but  a  narrow 
circle  of  muddy  waters  heaving  violently.  Under 
the  far  horizon  in  the  south  and  west,  low,  sullen 
thunder  began  to  mutter.  Suddenly  the  sky  parted 
before  a  tremendous  flash  of  lightning  that  blazed 
for  a  moment  across  the  heavens  and  then  went  out, 
leaving  the  night  darker  than  before.  But  in  that 
moment  they  caught  a  vivid  glimpse  of  the  flooded 
forest,  the  great  waste  of  troubled  waters,  and  all 
the  vast  desolation  about  them.  It  was  weird  and 
uncanny  to  the  last  degree,  and  despite  all  the  dangers 
and  hardships  through  which  they  had  passed  on 

no 


BATTLE  AND  STORM 

land,  the  five  steadied  their  nerves  only  with  supreme 
efforts  of  the  will. 

"  We've  forgot  the  covering  for  our  boat,"  ex 
claimed  Henry.  "  Paul,  keep  her  steady,  while  the 
rest  of  you  help  me." 

It  required  the  strength  of  four  to  spread  the  tar 
paulin  in  the  wind  and  make  it  all  secure,  but  they 
were  a  strong  four  and  the  task  was  quickly  done. 
Meanwhile  the  turbulence  of  air  and  water  were  in 
creasing.  The  waves  on  the  river  rose  higher  and 
higher  and  the  wind  drove  the  foam  in  their  taces. 
The  thunder,  no  longer  a  mutter,  became  one  terrific 
peal  after  another,  and  the  lightning  burned  across 
the  great  stream  in  flash  after  flash. 

"  I  sp'ose  it's  jest  the  same  ez  bein'  at  sea,"  said 
Sol  between  crashes.  "  I  don't  know  much  choice 
between  bein'  drowned  in  the  Mississippi,  which  I 
know  is  muddy,  an'  the  sea,  which  they  say  is  salt." 

"  No  danger  of  either!"  said  Paul  cheerfully, 
"  but  I'm  glad  this  is  such  a  wide  river.  So  long  as 
we  can  keep  the  boat  straight  there  is  not  much  risk 
of  being  driven  into  anything." 

Then  everyone  jumped  suddenly  to  his  feet. 
There  was  a  tremendous  crash  of  thunder  louder  than 
all  the  rest,  and  the  whole  river  swam  for  a  moment 
in  a  burning  glare.  The  lightning  seemed  to  have 
struck  upon  the  surface  of  the  water  not  far  from 
them.  Then,  when  the  lightning  and  the  thunder 
passed,  they  heard  only  the  wind  and  saw  only  the 
darkness. 

"  This  ain't  so  easy  ez  it  looked,"  said  Shif'less 
in 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Sol  in  a  plaintive  tone.  "  It's  nice  ridin'  on  a  boat, 
but  if  the  lightning  should  strike  *  The  Gall-yun,' 
whar  are  we?  I'd  a  heap  rather  be  on  the  land." 

*  That  must  have  been   its   climax,"   said   Paul, 
"  and  if  so  look  out  for  the  rain." 

Paul  was  right.  The  lightning  began  to  decline 
in  intensity  and  the  thunder  sank  in  volume.  The 
wind  died  rapidly.  Yet  there  was  no  increase  of 
light,  and  presently  they  heard  afar  a  rushing  sound. 
Great  drops  beat  like  hail  upon  their  tarpaulin,  and 
all  except  the  man  who  was  steering  snuggled  to 
cover.  The  steersman  happened  to  be  Shif'less  Sol 
this  time,  and  he  wrapped  one  of  the  new  Spanish 
blankets  tightly  around  him  from  heel  to  throat. 

44  Now  let  it  come,"  murmured  the  indomitable 
man. 

It  took  him  at  his  word  and  it  came  with  a  sweep 
and  a  roar.  The  heavens  opened  and  a  deluge  fell 
out.  The  thunder  and  lightning  ceased  entirely  and 
from  the  black  skies  the  rain  poured  in  amazing  quan 
tities.  Now  and  then  all  except  the  steersman  were 
forced  to  bail  out  the  boat,  but  mostly  they  kept  to 
cover  under  their  tarpaulin,  which  was  a  good  one. 

Shif'less  Sol  held  the  good  ship  "  The  Galleon," 
in  the  middle  of  the  current,  and  all  the  time  he 
strained  his  eyes  ahead  for  floating  debris  and  par 
ticularly  for  the  terrible  snags  which  were  such  a 
danger  in  the  early  Mississippi.  Keen  as  were  his 
eyes,  he  could  see  little  ahead  of  him  but  the  black 
water,  now  beaten  into  a  comparatively  smooth  plain 
by  the  steady  rain. 

112 


BATTLE  AND  STORM 

Shif'less  Sol  had  taken  off  his  cap  and  the  rain 
drove  steadily  on  the  back  of  his  head;  but  his  body, 
thanks  to  the  thick  blanket  wrapped  so  tightly  around 
his  neck,  remained  dry. 

Shif'less  Sol  was  not  uncomfortable.  Neither  was 
he  alarmed  or  unhappy.  There  was  a  strain  of  chiv 
alry  and  romance  in  his  forest-bred  soul,  and  the  sit 
uation  appealed  to  him.  He  was  in  a  strong  boat, 
his  four  faithful  comrades  were  with  him,  and  he 
was  piercing  a  new  mystery,  that  of  a  vast  and  un 
known  river.  The  spirit  that  has  always  driven  on 
the  great  explorers  and  adventurers  thrilled  in  every 
nerve  of  Solomon  Hyde,  nicknamed  the  Shiftless 
One,  but  not  at  all  deserving  the  title. 

The  boat  went  steadily  on  in  the  blackness  and  the 
rain,  and  Sol's  soul  swelled  jubilantly  within  him. 
He  could  see  perhaps  thirty  or  forty  feet  ahead  of 
him  over  the  smooth  plain  of  black  water,  and  at  an 
equal  distance  to  right  and  left  the  black  wall  rose, 
also.  So  far  as  feeling  went,  the  land  might  be  a 
thousand  miles  away,  and  he  was  glad  of  it. 

"  Which  sea  are  we  ploughin'  through  now, 
?aul?  "  he  said.  "  Is  it  the  Atlantic  or  the  Pacific 
or  one  I  ain't  heard  tell  of  a-tall,  a-tall?  But  which 
ever  it  is,  I'm  Christopher  Columbus  the  second,  on 
my  way  to  discover  a  new  continent  bigger  than  all 
the  others  put  together!  Jumpin'  Jehoshaphat!  but 
that  was  a  narrow  escape !  It  made  my  flesh 
creep !  " 

Sol  had  shifted  the  boat  in  her  course,  just  in  time 
to  escape  an  ominous  snag,  but  in  a  moment  his  joy- 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

ousness  came  back,  and  without  giving  Paul  time  to 
answer,  he  continued : 

"  A  boat  goin'  down  stream  on  a  river  is  shorely 
the  right  way  o'  travelin'  fur  a  lazy  man  like  me.  I 
wish  it  wuz  all  like  this !  " 

The  violence  of  the  rain  abated  somewhat  in  an 
hour  or  so,  but  it  continued  to  come  down  for  a  long 
time.  Far  after  midnight  the  clouds  began  to  part. 
A  damp  patch  of  sky  showed,  but  it  was  clear  sky 
nevertheless  and  soon  it  broadened. 

The  flooded  world  rose  up  before  the  five  voy 
agers,  the  vast  river,  still  black  in  the  night  light, 
floating  trees,  perhaps  rooted  up  by  the  stream  from 
shores  thousands  of  miles  to  the  north  and  west,  the 
low,  dim  outline  of  forest  to  right  and  left,  and  all 
around  them  an  immense  desolation.  Everything 
to  other  minds  would  have  been  gigantic,  somber,  and 
menacing.  Gigantic  it  was  to  the  five,  but  neither 
somber  nor  menacing.  Instead  it  told  them  of  safety 
and  comfort  and  it  was,  at  all  times,  full  of  a  varied 
and  supreme  interest. 

As  soon  as  the  light  was  strong  enough  for  them 
to  find  a  suitable  place  they  pulled  the  boat  among 
the  trees  on  the  western  shore  and  tied  it  up  securely. 
Here  they  made  a  critical  examination  and  found  that 
none  of  their  precious  goods  had  suffered  a  wetting. 
Powder,  provisions,  clothing,  all  were  dry  and  every 
one  except  the  watch  went  to  sleep  with  a  sound  con 
science. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE    LONE    VOYAGER 

HENRY  WARE  awoke,  rubbed  his  eyes,  and 
looked  through  the  tree  trunks  at  the  Missis 
sippi,  now  wider  than  ever. 

'What  do  you  see,  Tom?"  he  asked  of  Tom 
Ross,  who  had  kept  the  watch. 

"  Nothin'  but  a  black  speck  fur  across  thar.  It 
come  into  sight  only  a  minute  ago.  Fust  I  thought 
it  wuz  a  shadder,  then  I  thought  it  wuz  a  floatin'  log, 
an'  now  I  do  believe  it's  a  canoe.  What  do  you 
make  uv  it,  Henry?  " 

Henry   looked   long. 

"  It  is  a  canoe,"  said  he  at  last,  "  and  there's  a 
man  in  it.  They're  floating  with  the  stream 
down  our  way." 

"  You're  right,"  said  Tom  Ross,  "  an'  ef  I  ain't 
mistook  that  man  an'  that  canoe  are  in  trouble. 
Half  the  time  he's  paddlin',  half  the  time  he's  bailin1 
her  out,  an'  all  the  time  he's  making  a  desperate  ef 
fort  to  git  to  land." 

The  others  were  now  up  and  awake,  and  they 
gazed  with  intense  interest. 

"  It's  a  white  man  in  the  canoe  ez  shore  ez  I'm  a 
livin'  sinner!"  exclaimed  Shif'less  Sol. 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  And  it's  a  question,"  added  Henry,  "  whether 
his  canoe  gets  to  the  bank  or  the  bottom  of  the  river 
first." 

"  It's  a  white  man  and  we  must  save  him !  "  cried 
Paul,  his  generous  boy's  heart  stirred  to  the  utmost. 

They  quickly  untied  their  boat  and  pulled  with 
great  strokes  toward  the  sinking  canoe  and  its  lone 
occupant.  They  were  alongside  in  a  few  minutes 
and  Henry  threw  a  rope  to  the  man,  who  caught 
it  with  a  skillful  hand,  and  tied  his  frail  craft 
stoutly  to  the  side  of  the  strong  u  Galleon."  Then, 
as  Paul  reached  a  friendly  hand  down  to  him  he 
sprang  on  board,  exclaiming  at  the  same  time  in  a 
deep  voice :  "  May  the  blessing  of  Heaven  rest 
upon  you,  my  children." 

The  five  were  startled  at  the  face  and  appearance 
of  the  man  who  came  upon  their  boat.  They  had 
never  thought  of  encountering  such  a  figure  in  the 
wilderness.  He  was  of  middle  age,  tall,  well-built, 
and  remarkably  straight,  but  his  shaven  face  was 
thin  and  ascetic,  and  the  look  in  his  eyes  was  one  of 
extraordinary  benevolence.  Moreover,  it  had  the 
peculiar  quality  of  seeming  to  gaze  far  into  the 
future,  at  it  were,  at  something  glorious  and  beauti 
ful.  His  dress  was  a  strange  mixture.  He  wore 
deerskin  leggins  and  moccasins,  but  his  body  was 
clothed  in  a  long,  loose  garment  of  black  cloth  and 
on  his  head  was  a  square  cap  of  black  felt.  A  small 
white  crucifix  suspended  by  a  thin  chain  from  his 
neck  lay  upon  his  breast  and  gleamed  upon  the  black 
cloth. 

116 


THE  LONE  VOYAGER 

Every  one  of  the  five  instantly  felt  veneration  and 
respect  for  the  stranger  and  Paul  murmured,  "  A 
priest."  The  others  heard  him  and  understood. 
They  were  all  Protestants,  but  in  the  deep  wilder 
ness  religious  hatred  and  jealousy  had  little  hold; 
upon  them  none  at  all. 

"  Bless  you,  my  sons,"  repeated  the  man  in  his  deep, 
benevolent  voice,  and  then  he  continued  in  a  lighter 
tone,  speaking  almost  perfect  English,  "  I  do  believe 
that  if  you  had  not  appeared  when  you  did  I  and 
my  canoe  should  have  both  gone  to  the  bottom  of 
this  very  deep  river.  I  am  a  fair  swimmer,  but  I 
doubt  if  I  could  have  gained  the  land." 

"  We  are  glad,  father,"  said  Paul  respectfully, 
"  that  we  had  the  privilege  to  be  present  and  help  at 
such  a  time." 

The  priest  looked  at  Paul  and  smiled.  He  liked 
his  refined  and  sensitive  face  and  his  correct  language 
and  accent. 

"  I  should  fancy,  my  young  friend,"  he  said,  still 
smiling,  "  that  the  debt  of  gratitude  is  wholly  mine. 
I  am  Pierre  Montigny,  and,  as  you  perhaps  sur 
mise,  a  Frenchman  and  priest  of  the  Holy  Church, 
sent  to  the  New  World  to  convert  and  save  the 
heathen.  I  belong  to  the  mission  at  New  Orleans, 
but  I  have  been  on  a  trip,  to  a  tribe  called  the  Osage, 
west  of  the  Great  River.  Last  night  my  canoe  was 
damaged  by  the  fierce  storm  and  I  started  forth 
rather  rashly  this  morning,  not  realizing  the  extent 
to  which  the  canoe  had  suffered.  You  have  seen  and 
taken  a  part  in  the  rest." 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  You  were  going  back  to  New  Orleans  alone, 
and  in  a  little  canoe?  "  said  Paul. 

u  Oh,  yes,"  replied  Father  Montigny,  as  if  he 
were  speaking  of  trifles.  "  I  always  go  alone,  and 
my  canoe  isn't  so  very  little,  as  you  see.  I  carry  in 
it  a  change  of  clothing,  provisions,  and  gifts  for  the 
Indians." 

"  But  no  arms,"  said  Henry  who  had  been  look 
ing  into  the  canoe. 

"  No  arms,  of  course,"  replied  Father  Montigny. 

4  You  are  a  brave  man !  About  the  bravest  I 
ever  saw !  "  burst  out  Tom  Ross,  he  of  few  words. 

Father  Montigny  merely  smiled  again. 

u  Oh,  no,"  he  said,  "  I  have  many  brethren  who 
do  likewise,  and  there  are  as  many  different  kinds  of 
bravery  as  there  are  different  kinds  of  life.  You, 
I  fancy,  are  brave,  too,  though  I  take  it  from  ap 
pearances  that  you  sometimes  fight  with  arms." 

"  We  have  to  do  it,  Father  Montigny,"  said  Paul 
in  an  apologetic  tone. 

The  priest  made  no  further  comment  and,  taking 
him  to  the  shore,  with  much  difficulty  they  built  a 
fire,  at  which  they  prepared  him  warm  food  while  he 
dried  his  clothing.  They  had  no  hesitation  in  telL 
ing  him  of  their  errand  and  of  the  presence  of  Al 
varez  and  his  force  on  the  river.  Father  Montigny 
sighed. 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  great  regret,"  he  said,  "  that 
Louisiana  has  passed  from  the  hands  of  my  nation 
into  those  of  Spain.  France  is  now  allied  with  your 
colonies,  but  Spain  holds  aloof.  She  fears  you  and 

118 


THE  LONE  VOYAGER 

perhaps  with  reason.  Every  country,  if  its  people 
be  healthy  and  vigorous,  must  ultimately  be  owned 
by  those  who  live  upon  it." 

"  Do  you  know  this  Alvarez?  "  asked  Henry. 

"  Yes,  a  man  of  imperious  and  violent  temper,  one 
who,  with  all  his  courage,  does  not  recognize  the  new 
forces  at  work  in  the  world.  He  thinks  that  Spain 
is  still  the  greatest  of  nations,  and  that  the  outposts 
of  your  race,  who  have  reached  the  backwoods,  are 
nothing.  It  is  we  who  travel  in  the  great  forests 
who  recognize  the  strength  of  the  plant  that  is  yet 
so  young  and  tender." 

The  priest  sighed  again  and  a  shade  of  emotion 
passed  over  his  singularly  fine  face. 

"  Alvarez  would  be  glad  to  commit  the  Spanish 
forces  in  America  to  the  cause  of  your  enemies,"  he 
resumed,  "  and  he  is  bold  enough  to  do  any  violent 
deed  at  this  distance  to  achieve  that  end.  In  fact, 
he  is  already  allied  with  the  renegade  and  the  Indians 
against  you  and  began  war  when  he  seized  one  of 
you.  Perhaps  it  is  just  as  well  that  you  are  going 
to  New  Orleans,  since  Bernardo  Galvez,  the  Spanish 
Governor,  is  a  man  of  different  temper,  young,  en 
thusiastic,  and  ready,  I  think,  to  listen  to  you." 

While  the  priest  was  talking  by  the  fireside  Shif- 
less  Sol,  Long  Jim,  and  Tom  Ross  slipped  away. 
They  hauled  his  canoe  out  on  dry  land,  and  with  the 
tools  that  they  had  found  on  "  The  Galleon  "  quickly 
made  it  as  good  as  ever.  They  also  quietly  put  some 
of  their  own  stores  in  the  canoe,  and  then  returned 
it  to  the  water. 

119 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  O'  course,  he  won't  go  comf'tably  with  us  in  our 
boat  to  New  Or-lee-yuns,"  said  Shif'less  Sol.  "  He'll 
stick  to  his  canoe  an'  stop  to  preach  to  Injuns  who 
mebbe  will  torture  him  to  death,  but  he  has  my 
respeck  an'  ef  I  kin  do  .anything  fur  him  I  want  to 
do  it." 

44  So  would  I,"  said  Jim  Hart  heartily.  "  I'm 
a  pow'ful  good  cook  ez  you  know,  Sol,  bein'  ez 
you've  et  in  your  time  more'n  a  hundred  thousand 
pounds  uv  my  victuals,  an'  I'd  like  to  cook  him  all 
the  buffaler  an'  deer  steak  he  could  eat  between  here 
an'  New  Or-lee-yuns,  no  matter  how  long  he  wuz 
on  the  way." 

u  An'  me,"  said  Tom  Ross  simply,  wishing  to  add 
his  mite,  "  I'd  like  to  be  on  hand  when  any  Injun 
tried  to  hurt  him.  That  Injun  would  think  he'd 
been  struck  by  seven  different  kinds  uv  lightnin',  all 
at  the  same  time." 

The  fire  was  built  on  a  hillock  that  rose  above  the 
flood.  It  had  been  kindled  with  the  greatest  diffi 
culty,  even  by  such  experienced  woodsmen  as  the 
five,  but,  once  well  started,  it  consumed  the  damp 
brush  and  spluttered  and  blazed  merrily.  Gradu 
ally  a  great  bed  of  coals  formed  and  threw  out  a 
temperate,  grateful  heat.  All  were  glad  enough, 
after  the  storm  and  the  cold  and  the  wet,  to  sit 
around  it  and  to  feel  the  glow  upon  their  faces.  It 
warmed  the  blood. 

The  hill  formed  an  island  in  the  flood  and  "  Ths 
Galleon  "  and  the  canoe  were  tied  to  trees  only  thirty 
or  forty  feet  away.  Far  to  the  west  extended  the 

120 


THE  LONE  VOYAGER 

great  sweep  of  the  river  and  around  them  the  flooded 
forest  was  still  dripping  with  the  night's  rain. 

"  I  think  I'm  willin'  to  rest  a  while,"  said  ShiP- 
less  Sol.  "  That  wuz  a  pow'ful  lively  time  we  had 
last  night,  but  thar  wuz  enough  o'  it  an'  I'd  like  to 
lay  by  to-day,  now  that  our  friend's  canoe  hez  been 
fixed." 

Father  Montigny  glanced  up  in  surprise. 

"  My  canoe  repaired!  "  he  said.  "  I  don't  under 
stand." 

"  'Twas  only  a  little  job  fur  fellers  like  us,"  said 
the  shiftless  one.  "  She's  all  done,  an'  your  canoe, 
ez  good  ez  new,  is  tied  up  thar  alongside  o'  our 
'  Gall-yun.'  " 

"  You  are  very  good  to  me,"  said  the  priest  rais 
ing  his  hands  slightly  in  the  manner  of  benediction, 
"  and  I  suggest,  since  we  have  a  comfortable  place 
here,  that  we  remain  on  this  little  island  until  to 
morrow.  Do  you  know  what  day  it  is?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Paul,  "  to  tell  you  the  truth,  Father 
Montigny,  we've  been  through  so  much  and  we've 
had  to  think  so  hard  of  other  things  that  we've  lost 
count  of  the  days.  I'd  scarcely  know  how  to  guess 


at  it." 


;'  It's  the  Holy  Sabbath,"  said  Father  Montigny. 
'  You,  I  have  no  doubt,  belong  to  a  church  other 
than  mine,  but  the  wilderness  teaches  us  that  we're 
merely  traveling  by  different  roads  to  the  same  place. 
We  six  are  alone  upon  this  little  spot  of  ground  in  a 
great  river  flowing  through  a  vast  desolation.  Surely 
we  can  be  comrades,  too,  and  give  thanks  together 

121 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

for  the  mercy  that  is  taking  us  through  such  great 
dangers  and  hardships." 

"  We're  like  Noah  and  his  family  after  the  ark 
landed,"  whispered  Shif'less  Sol  to  Henry,  in  a  tone 
that  was  far  from  irreverence.  But  Paul  said  aloud: 

"  I'm  sure  that  we're  all  in  agreement  upon  that 
point,  Father  Montigny.  We  do  not  have  to  hasten 
and  we'll  remain  here  on  the  island  in  a  manner 
proper  to  the  day." 

Father  Montigny  glanced  at  the  five  in  turn  and 
the  rare,  beautiful  smile  lighted  up  his  face.  He 
read  every  thought  of  theirs  in  their  open  counte 
nances,  and  he  knew  that  they  were  in  thorough  ac 
cord  with  him.  But  Paul,  as  usual,  appealed  to  him 
most  of  all  —  the  deeply  spiritual  quality  in  the  lad 
was  evident  to  the  priest  and  reader  of  men. 

Father  Montigny  took  a  little  leather-bound  book 
from  under  his  black  robe  and  stood  up.  The  others 
stood  up  also.  Then  the  priest  read  a  prayer.  It 
was  in  Latin  and  the  five  —  Paul  included  —  did  not 
understand  a  word  of  it,  but  not  a  particle  of  its 
solemnity  and  effect  was  lost  on  that  account. 

It  was  to  Paul,  in  many  ways,  the  most  impressive 
scene  in  which  he  had  ever  taken  part,  the  noble,  in 
spired  face  of  the  priest,  the  solemn  words,  and  no 
other  sound  except  the  peaceful  murmur  made  by  the 
flowing  of  the  great  river.  They  seemed  as  much 
alone  on  their  little  hill  as  if  they  stood  on  a  coral 
island  in  the  south  seas. 

Nature  was  in  unison  with  the  rite.  A  brilliant 
sun  came  out,  the  dripping  trees  dried  fast,  and, 

122 


THE  LONE  VOYAGER 

under  the  blue  sky,  the  yellow  of  the  river  took  on  a 
lighter  hue. 

After  the  prayer  they  resumed  their  seats  by  the 
fire,  which  they  left  at  intervals  only  to  get  some 
thing  from  the  boat  or  to  bring  the  dryest  wood  that 
they  could  find  for  the  replenishing  of  the  fire.  Paul 
and  Shif'less  Sol  went  together  on  one  of  the  trips 
for  firewood. 

"  He  is  shorely  a  good  man,"  said  the  shiftless  one 
nodding  in  the  direction  of  the  priest,  "  but  don't  you 
think,  Paul,  he's  undertook  a  mighty  big  job,  tryin' 
to  convert  Injuns?" 

"  Undoubtedly,"  replied  Paul,  "  but  that  is  the 
purpose  to  which  he  has  devoted  his  life.  He  does 
good,  but  it  seems  a  pity  to  me  too,  Sol,  that  he 
goes  on  such  missions.  In  the  end  he'll  find  martyr 
dom  among  some  cruel  tribe,  and  he  knows  it." 

While  Father  Montigny,  like  others  of  his  kind, 
expected  martyrdom  and  willingly  risked  it,  his 
spirits  were  darkened  by  no  shadow  now.  Not  one 
of  the  five  was  more  cheerful  than  he,  and  he  gave 
them  all  the  news  at  his  command. 

"  And  I  am  glad,"  he  continued,  "  that  you  are 
going  to  New  Orleans.  You  are  really  messengers 
of  peace  and,  unofficial  heralds  though  you  are, 
you  may  save  more  than  one  nation  from  great 
trouble." 

The  five  were  deeply  gratified  by  his  words.  If 
they  had  needed  any  encouragement  in  their  self- 
chosen  task  they  would  have  received  it  now. 

"  Since  you  are  returning  to  New  Orleans,  Father 
123 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Montigny,"  said  Paul,  "  why  don't  you  go  with  us 
in  our  big  boat?  It  is  far  safer  and  more  com 
fortable  than  a  canoe." 

Father  Montigny  shook  his  head. 

"  It  is  a  kind  offer,"  he  replied,  "  but  I  cannot  ac 
cept  it.  I  leave  you  to-morrow  at  the  mouth  of  a 
river  on  our  right  as  we  descend.  There  is  a  small 
village  of  peaceful  Indians  several  miles  up  that 
stream  and  I  wish  to  stay  with  them  a  day  or  two. 
I  and  my  canoe  have  traveled  many  thousands  of 
miles  together  and  we  will  continue." 

They  would  have  repeated  the  offer,  but  they  saw 
that  he  was  not  to  be  moved  and  they  talked  of  other 
things.  The  rest  was,  in  truth,  welcome  to  all,  as 
the  labors  and  dangers  of  the  night  had  been  a  severe 
strain  upon  their  nerves  and  strength,  and  they  luxu 
riated  before  the  fire  while  the  peaceful  day  passed. 
Henry  noticed  that  the  water  was  still  rising,  and 
that  the  mass  of  floating  debris  was  also  increasing. 

"  It's  been  a  tremendous  rain,"  he  said,  "  and  it's 
extended  far  up.  It  must  have  been  raining  on  all 
the  great  rivers  that  run  into  the  Mississippi  on  either 
side,  away  off  there  in  the  north.  It's  going  to  be  a 
mighty  big  flood,  and  this  hill  itself  will  go  under." 

"  You're  right,"  said  Shif'less  Sol.  "  It's  a  mighty 
big  river  any  time  but  is  shorely  gittin'  to  be  like  a 


sea  now." 


They  walked  back  to  the  little  party  by  the  fire. 
The  day  had  considerable  coolness  in  it  after  the  rain, 
and  the  warmth  was  still  welcome.  Little  was  left 
for  them  to  do  and  they  still  luxuriated  in  rest.  Like 

124 


THE  LONE  VOYAGER 

all  woodsmen  in  those  times  who  were  compelled  to 
endure  long  and  most  strenuous  periods  of  toil  and 
danger,  they  knew  how  to  do  nothing  when  the  time 
came,  and  let  Nature  recuperate  the  tired  faculties. 

The  brilliant  sun  shone  on  the  river,  the  muddy 
waters  were  gilded  with  gold.  The  east  turned  to 
rose,  then  to  red,  and  after  that  came  the  shadows. 
The  mellow  voice  of  the  priest  was  lifted  in  a  solemn 
Latin  hymn.  His  song  carried  far  over  the  dark 
ening  waters,  and  Paul,  under  its  influence,  felt  more 
deeply  than  ever  the  immense  majesty  of  the  scene. 
Red  light  from  the  sunken  sun  still  lingered  over  the 
longest  of  rivers,  but  the  shadows  now  covered  all  the 
eastern  shore.  Through  the  increasing  night  the 
firelight  on  the  little  island  twinkled  like  a  beacon, 
but  for  the  time  being,  they  were  careless  who  saw  it. 

The  hymn  died  away  in  a  last  long  echo,  the  red 
light  was  wholly  gone,  darkness  was  over  every 
thing,  and  they  prepared  for  a  long  night  of  sleep. 
The  next  morning  they  started  together,  the  big 
boat  and  the  little  canoe.  Every  one  of  the  five 
offered  to  paddle  the  canoe  for  Father  Montigny 
as  far  as  they  were  going  together,  but  he  smilingly 
declined. 

"  No,"  he  said,  "  my  good  canoe  and  I  have  been 
closely  associated  too  long  to  be  separated  now,  nor 
must  I  be  spoiled.  I  see  that  you  have  put  fresh 
stores  in  the  canoe,  and  I  accept  them.  You  have 
good  hearts,  as  I  knew  when  I  first  saw  you." 

The  five  would  not  put  up  their  sail  while  they 
were  in  company,  and  u  The  Galleon  "  and  the  canoe 

125 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

drifted  together  until  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the 
river  up  which  the  peaceful  Indian  village  lay.  There 
Father  Montigny  gave  them  his  blessing  and  bade 
them  farewell.  They  held  their  own  boat  in  the 
current  while  they  watched  him  paddle  with  strong 
arms  up  the  tributary  stream.  He  stopped  at  the 
first  curve,  lifted  his  paddle  in  a  last  salute,  which 
they  returned  with  their  own  lifted  oars,  and  then  he 
passed  out  of  sight. 

"  We  may  never  see  him  again,"  said  Paul  —  but 
Paul  could  not  read  the  future. 

Then  they  set  their  sail,  swung  into  the  middle  of 
the  stream  and  swept  forward  on  their  great  journey. 
But  the  meeting  with  the  priest  had  a  strong  influence 
upon  every  one  of  them. 

"  He  is  sure  to  suffer  a  violent  death  some  time 
or  other,"  said  Paul,  "  and  he  knows  it,  but  it  never 
makes  him  gloomy.  There  are  other  French  priests 
like  him,  too,  boys,  going  thousands  of  miles,  alone 
and  unarmed,  over  this  vast  continent." 

"  'Pears  to  me  that  we  are  wrong  when  we  talk 
about  the  French  bein'  dancin'  masters  an1  sech  like," 
said  Shif'less  Sol.  u  My  father  fit  in  the  great 
French  war  up  thar  along  the  Canady  line  an'  in 
Canady,  an'  he  says  the  French  wuz  ez  good  fight 
ers  ez  anybody.  Besides,  they  took  naterally  to  the 
woods,  makin'  fust  rate  scouts  an'  hunters,  an'  ef  that 
ain't  proof  o'  the  stuff  that's  in  people,  nothin'  is." 

This  day  upon  the  waters  was  one  of  unbroken 
peace.  The  flood,  as  Henry  had  predicted,  con 
tinued  to  rise,  spreading  far  into  the  woods  and  out 

126 


THE  LONE  VOYAGER 

of  sight.  Now  and  then  some  portion  of  the  shore, 
eaten  into  continually  by  the  powerful  stream,  would 
give  way  and  fall  with  a  sticky  sigh  into  the  river. 
Uprooted  trees  floated  in  the  current  or  became 
wedged  in  the  forest.  But  the  sunlight  remained 
undimmed  and  they  began  to  grow  familiar  with  the 
river.  It  was  a  friend  now,  bearing  them  whither 
they  would  go. 

About  noon  they  saw  two  deer  marooned  on  an 
island  made  by  the  flood,  and  they  shot  one  of  them 
for  the  sake  of  the  fresh  meat. 

Now  ensued  a  long  journey,  unbroken  by  danger, 
but  full  of  interest.  They  came  near  enough  once 
or  twice  to  ascertain  that  the  Spanish  force  was 
just  ahead  of  them,  but  they  saw  no  chance  to  se 
cure  the  precious  maps  and  plans  or  interfere  in  any 
other  way  with  the  dangerous  project  of  Alvarez,  and 
they  waited  patiently. 

The  flood  began  to  subside,  but  it  was  a  mighty 
river  yet,  and  would  still  be  so  when  all  the  flood 
was  gone.  They  passed  the  mouths  of  great  rivers 
to  right  and  to  left,  but  they  did  not  know  their 
names,  nor  whence  they  came.  The  air  grew  much 
warmer  and  they  were  very  glad  indeed  now  that 
they  had  the  sail,  which,  allied  with  the  current, 
carried  them  on  as  fast  as  they  wished. 

Shif'less  Sol  lay  lazily  under  the  sail,  his  limbs 
relaxed,  and  his  face  a  picture  of  content. 

"  I  could  float  on  an'  on  forever,"  he  said  sleepily, 
"  an'  I  don't  care  how  long  it  takes  to  git  to  New 
Or-lee-yuns.  I  think  I'm  goin'  to  like  that  place. 

127 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

I  saw  a  trapper  once  who  had  been  thar,  an'  he  said 
you  could  be  jest  ez  lazy  an'  sleepy  ez  you  wished 
an'  nobody  would  blame  you  —  they  kinder  look 
upon  it  ez  the  right  thing,  an'  that  suits  me.  He  said 
them  Spaniards  an'  French  had  orange  trees  about. 
You  could  lay  in  your  bed,  reach  a  han'  out  o'  the 
window,  pull  an  orange  off  the  tree,  suck  it,  an'  then 
go  back  to  sleep  without  ever  havin'  disturbed  the 
cover.  I  never  seed  an  orange,  but  I  know  it's  nice." 

The  same  day  they  rowed  the  boat  a  few  miles 
up  a  small  but  deep  and  very  clear  river  that  emptied 
into  the  Mississippi  from  the  east.  Their  object  was 
to  fish,  the  greater  river  itself  being  too  muddy  for 
the  succulent  kind  that  they  wished.  The  incom 
parable  "  Galleon  "  had  also  been  supplied  with  fish 
ing  tackle,  and  in  a  short  time  they  caught  a  splendid 
supply  of  black  bass  and  perch,  which  proved  to  be 
very  fine  and  toothsome.  As  their  boat  floated  back 
from  the  smaller  stream  into  the  Mississippi,  Shif'less 
Sol  heaved  a  deep  sigh. 

"What's  the  matter,  Sol?"  asked  Paul. 

"  I  wuz  thinkin'  o'  Christopher  Columbus,"  re 
plied  Shif'less  Sol.  "  Ef  it  wuzn't  that  I'd  be"  dead 
now,  I  wish  I'd  been  with  him.  I  do  enjoy  sailin'  on 
an'  discoverin'  lands  an'  waters  that  ain't  yet  got 
no  name  to  'em.  It  looks  funny  to  me  that  we 
wuzn't  discovered  sooner,  when  we've  always  been 
here,  but  Columbus  has  all  my  respeck  an'  admira 
tion  'cause  he  done  it  when  the  others  didn't." 

"  That  shorely  wuz  a  man,"  said  Tom  Ross,  his 
eyes  lighting  up.  "  I've  heard  the  tale  how  he  kep' 

128 


THE  LONE  VOYAGER 

tryin'  an'  tryin'  to  git  a  ship,  an'  couldn't,  an  at 
last  the  Spanish  lady  pulled  off  her  earrings  an'  finger 
rings  an'  bracelets  an'  said:  'Here,  Chris,  these, 
these  are  my  jewels,  take  'em,  trade  'em  fur  the  best 
ship  thar  is  in  the  market,  an'  discover  Ameriky.' 
An'  then  he  got  his  ship,  an'  kep'  sailin'  on  an'  on,  an' 
the  sailors  they  began  to  git  skeered  an'  then  more 
skeered.  They're  afraid  they're  goin'  to  drop  off 
on  the  other  side  uv  the  world  an'  they  go  to  Chris 
an'  say:  '  Thar  ain't  no  sech  continent  ez  Ameriky 
an'  we  ain't  goin'  to  discover  it.  We're  goin'  to 
turn  right  'round  an'  go  straight  back  to  Spain.' 

"  Chris  says  in  the  knowin'est  manner  like  a  father 
talkin'  to  his  child.  '  Thar  is  sech  a  continent  ez 
Ameriky,  an'  it's  a  big  one,  too.  It's  layin'  over  thar 
straight  to  the  west,  an'  it's  full  uv  big  lakes  an'  big 
rivers  an'  big  mountains  an'  red  Injuns  that  fight  with 
bows  an'  arrers,  and  b'ars  an'  buffalers  an'  deer  an' 
panthers  an'  all  things  fine,  jest  waitin'  fur  us. 
Thar's  whar  we're  goin'.'  And  the  sailors  say  more 
uppish  than  ever:  *  No,  we  ain't,  we  ain't  goin'  to 
discover  Ameriky,  thar  ain't  no  sech  place,  we're 
goin'  right  back  to  Spain.'  Then  a  kinder  funny 
look  comes  into  Chris's  eye.  He  reaches  fur  his  long 
rifle,  an'  he  draws  a  bead  on  the  foremost  uv  them 
sailors,  the  feller  that  speaks  fur  'em  all,  an'  he  says, 
droppin'  that  fatherly  manner  an'  speakin'  up  sharp 
an'  snappy:  '  I  reckin  we're  either  goin'  to  discover 
Ameriky,  or  go  right  back  to  Spain,  which  is  it?  ' 

"  An'  that  foremost  sailor,  the  one  that  speaks  fur 
'em  all,  sees  the  funny  look  in  Chris's  eye,  an'  he 

129 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

thinks,  too,  he  kin  see  clean  down  the  barrel  uv  that 
long  rifle  to  whar  the  bullet  is  layin',  an'  he  answers 
right  off :  *  We're  goin'  to  discover  Ameriky  ' ;  an' 
shore  enough  they  did,  this  fine,  big  continent,  full  uv 
big  lakes  an'  big  rivers  an'  big  mountains  an'  red 
Injuns  that  fight  with  bows  an'  arrers  an'  b'ars  an' 
buffalers  an'  deer  an'  panthers  an'  all  things  fine." 

"  I  didn't  know  Tom  Ross  had  sech  a  gift  o'  gab," 
said  Shif'less  Sol.  "  He  stirs  me  all  up,  he  makes 
me  want  to  hev  some  lady  buy  a  ship  fur  me  an'  start 
me  out  to  discoverin'  continents.  Do  you  think, 
Paul,  thar's  any  lady  who  would  sell  her  earrings  an" 
finger  rings  fur  me  ez  that  Spanish  one  did  fur  Co 
lumbus?" 

"  But  think,  Sol,  what  a  chance  you've  got  whether 
there  is  or  not,"  said  Henry  Ware.  "  America  is 
discovered  but  not  much  of  it  is  explored.  There's 
enough  here  to  keep  you  roaming  about  for  the  next 
fifty  or  sixty  years." 

"  That's  so,"  said  the  shiftless  one  brightening  up. 
;'  What  am  I  growlin'  about,  when  here's  a  river, 
mebbe  ten  thousand  miles  long  that  we  know  next 
to  nothin'  'bout,  an'  buffalers  an'  b'ars  an'  panthers 
an'  deer  to  shoot,  an'  red  Injuns  to  fight  ez  long  ez 
I  live.  After  all,  we're  shorely  mighty  lucky  to  live 
at  the  time  we  do,  ez  I've  said  before.  Do  you 
think  thar'll  ever  be  any  times  hereafter  as  interestin' 
ez  ourn,  Paul?  " 

"  I  can't  say,"  replied  Paul  with  a  smile,  "  but 
they're  not  likely  to  be  as  interesting  to  us." 

They  went  on  their  way,  and  the  air  became  still 
130 


THE  LONE  VOYAGER 

warmer.  Moreover,  it  grew  heavy  and  oppressive, 
and  the  spring  rains  were  resumed  with  great  vio 
lence.  They  had  worked  meanwhile  on  their  tar 
paulin,  enlarging  and  strengthening  it  with  skins 
which  they  had  allowed  to  dry  on  the  boat,  and  they 
rested,  sheltered  and  secure,  as  they  floated  along. 

Although  Frenchmen  had  gone  up  and  down  the 
river  long  before,  they  felt  like  genuine  explorers. 
So  little  was  known  of  the  mighty  stream  that  they 
regarded  every  stretch  and  turn  with  keen  interest. 
It  was  not  beautiful  now,  a  vast,  brown  flood  flowing 
between  low  and  changing  shores,  but  in  its  size 
and  loneliness  it  had  a  majesty  peculiarly  its  own. 

Wild  geese  and  wild  ducks  flew  over  the  river  in 
abundance,  and  they  were  so  little  used  to  man  that 
often  they  passed  near  "  The  Galleon."  The  fowl 
ing  pieces  proved  useful  again,  as  the  five  were  able 
to  sit  in  comfort  on  their  boat  and  shoot  geese  and 
ducks  for  their  needs.  Some  were  of  kinds  that  they 
had  never  seen  before,  but  all  proved  to  be  good  eat 
ing,  and  they  were  welcome. 

Jim  Hart  also  exercised  his  ingenuity  in  a  very 
useful  manner.  In  the  prow  of  the  boat,  but  under 
the  tarpaulin,  he  spread  a  layer  of  mud  about  two 
inches  thick.  Protected  from  the  rain,  it  soon  dried, 
forming  a  hard,  impervious,  brick-like  covering  for 
the  bottom  of  the  boat,  and  upon  this  he  built  a 
small  smothered  fire  of  dry  sticks,  a  supply  of  which 
they  kept  in  the  boat.  Here  Jim,  with  all  the  skill 
and  delicacy  of  a  gastronomic  artist,  would  cook 
their  wild  ducks  and  wild  geese,  and,  considering  the 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

limited  area  and  resources  for  the  exercise  of  his 
favorite  occupation,  he  did  extremely  well.  Nor 
was  it  any  longer  necessary  for  them  to  run  in  to  the 
shore  and  worry  in  the  dripping  forest  with  wet 
wood. 

"  It  ain't  like  that  stove  we  built  the  time  we  wuz 
on  the  ha'nted  islan',"  Long  Jim  would  say,  "  but 
it's  a  heap  sight  better  than  nothin'." 

"  It  shorely  is,"  said  Shif'less  Sol.  "  You  ain't 
much  account  for  anything,  Jim,  but  you  kin  cook  a 
leetle  bit." 

Long  Jim  smiled  contentedly. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE    CHATEAU    OF   BEAULIEU 

THEY  noticed  one  day  a  high  bluff  shooting 
up  on  the  eastern  bank  and  running  along 
for  some  distance.  It  was  clothed  in  dense 
green  forest,  and  it  was  rather  a  welcome  break  in 
the  monotony  of  the  low  shores. 

"  A  big  city  will  be  built  there  some  day,"  said 
the  prophetic  Paul.* 

"  Now,  Paul,  why  in  tarnation  do  you  say  that?  " 
exclaimed  Tom  Ross. 

"  Why,  because  it's  such  a  good  place.  It's  a  high 
hill  on  a  great  river  so  well  suited  to  navigation,  and 
it  has  a  vast,  rich  country  behind  it." 

But  Tom  Ross  shook  his  head. 

"  Seems  to  me,  Paul,"  he  said,  "  that  you're  bitin' 
off  a  lot  more'n  you  can  chaw.  Things  that  are  to 
happen  a  hundred  years  from  now  ain't  never  hap- 
penin'  fur  me." 

But  Paul  merely  smiled  and  held  to  his  opinion. 

On  the  following  day  they  tied  up  at  a  point, 
where  the  river  began  a  sharp  and  wide  curve  around 
a  long,  narrow  peninsula.  It  was  just  about  dark 
when  they  stopped  and,  as  usual,  they  were  able  to 

*  It  is  probable  that  the  bluff,  indicated  by  Paul,  is  the  one  on 
which  the  present  city  of  Memphis  stands. 

133 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

run  the  boat  into  dense  foliage  at  the  margin,  where 
not  even  the  keenest  eye  could  see  it. 

"  We've  got  plenty  of  goose  and  duck  left  over 
from  dinner,"  said  Henry,  "  so  I'm  thinking,  Jim, 
that  you'd  better  not  light  the  fire  on  your  bricks  to 
night." 

"  All  right,"  replied  Jim,  "  I  don't  mind  restin'. 
I  feel  about  ez  lazy  ez  Sol  Hyde  looks." 

But  Henry  Ware  had  another  and  more  impor 
tant  thing  in  mind.  His  was  the  keenest  eye  of 
them  all,  and  just  before  landing  he  had  noticed  to 
the  southward  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  peninsula 
a  faint,  dark  line  against  the  edge  of  the  sunset. 
Few,  even  with  an  eye  good  enough  to  see  it,  would 
have  taken  it  for  anything  but  a  wisp  of  cloud,  but 
the  physical  sense  of  Henry  Ware,  so  acute  that  it 
bordered  upon  intuition,  was  not  deceived. 

"  Sol,"  he  said  after  they  had  eaten  a  little,  "  let's 
walk  across  this  neck  of  land  and  explore  a  bit." 

"  It's  a  dark  night  to  be  traveling,"  said  Paul. 
But  Henry  only  laughed.  Tom  Ross  may  have  had 
his  suspicions,  but  he  did  not  deem  it  worth  while  to 
say  anything.  He  knew  that  Henry  and  Shif'less 
Sol  were  quite  competent  to  achieve  any  task  that  they 
might  be  undertaking. 

Henry  and  Sol  strolled  carelessly  into  the  bush, 
but  before  they  had  gone  a  dozen  steps  their  whole 
manner  changed.  Each  became  eager  and  alert. 

"What  is  it,  Henry?"  asked  Shif'less  Sol 
"What  have  you  seed?" 

"  Smoke!  the  smoke  of  a  camp  fire  and  it's  on  the 
134 


THE  CHATEAU  OF  BEAULIEU 

other  side  of  this  neck.  I  think  it's  the  camp  of 
Alvarez.  He  must  have  been  going  more  slowly 
than  we  thought." 

"  We'll  soon  find  out,"  said  Shif'less  Sol,  as  they 
advanced. 

But  the  task  was  not  as  easy  as  they  had  thought. 
The  peninsula  was  very  low  and  the  greater  part  of 
it  had  been  overflowed  recently.  Their  feet,  no  mat 
ter  how  lightly  they  stepped,  sank  in  the  mire,  and 
when  they  pulled  them  out  again  the  mud  emitted  a 
sticky  sigh.  An  owl  perched  in  a  tree,  high  above 
the  marsh,  began  to  hoot  dismally,  and  Shif'less  Sol 
uttered  a  growl. 

"  I  wish  we  had  the  big,  dry  woods  o'  Kentucky 
to  go  through,"  he  whispered  to  Henry.  "  I  ain't 
much  o'  a  mud-crawler." 

"  But  as  we  haven't  got  those  big,  dry  woods," 
Henry  whispered  back,  "  we'll  have  to  crawl,  creep, 
or  walk  through  the  mud.'" 

It  was  about  two  miles  across  the  neck,  and  as  they 
went  very  slowly  for  fear  of  making  noise,  it  took 
them  a  full  hour  to  reach  the  other  side,  or  to  come 
near  enough  to  see  what  might  be  there.  Then  they 
found  that  Henry's  belief,  or  rather  intuition,  was 
right. 

They  could  see  quite  well  from  the  dense  covert. 
All  the  Spanish  boats  were  tied  up  at  the  shore  and 
two  or  three  fires  had  been  built  for  the  purposes  of 
cooking.  The  soldiers  in  their  picturesque  costumes 
lounged  about.  The  hum  of  conversation  and  now 
and  then  a  laugh  arose. 

135 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Henry  soon  marked  Francisco  Alvarez.  The 
Spanish  leader  sat  on  a  little  heap  of  boughs  on  the 
highest  and  dryest  spot  in  the  camp,  and  all  who  ap 
proached  him  did  so  with  every  sign  of  respect  — 
if  they  spoke  it  was  hat  in  hand. 

The  firelight  fell  in  a  red  blaze  across  the  face  of 
Francisco  Alvarez  and  revealed  every  feature  in 
minute  detail  to  the  keen  eyes  in  the  covert.  It  was 
a  thin,  haughty  face,  clear-cut  and  cruel,  but  just 
now  its  air  was  that  of  satisfaction,  as  if  in  the 
opinion  of  Francisco  Alvarez  all  things  were  going 
well  with  his  plans.  Henry  believed  that  he  could 
guess  his  thoughts.  "  He  thinks  that  the  Spanish 
are  already  committed  against  us  and  that  he  and 
Braxton  Wyatt  with  a  force  of  Spaniards  and  the 
tribes  will  yet  destroy  our  settlements  in  Kentucky.'* 

Thinking  of  Braxton  Wyatt  he  looked  for  him 
and,  as  he  looked,  the  renegade  came  from  a  point 
near  the  shore  toward  the  commander.  It  was  evi 
dent  that  Wyatt  had  been  faring  well.  His  frontier 
dress  had  been  partly  replaced  with  gay  Spanish  gar 
ments.  He  now  wore  a  cap  with  a  feather  in  it,  and 
a  velvet  doublet.  He,  too,  had  a  most  complacent 
look. 

Wyatt  approached  Alvarez  and  the  commander 
courteously  invited  him  to  a  seat  on  the  hillock  near 
him.  When  he  took  the  seat  a  soldier  brought  the 
renegade  a  cup  of  wine,  and  he  drank,  first  lifting 
the  cup  toward  Alvarez  as  if  he  drank  a  toast  to  the 
success  of  the  alliance.  There  could  be  no  doubt 
about  the  perfect  understanding  of  the  two;  and 

136 


THE  CHATEAU  OF  BEAULIEU 

Henry's  anger  rose.  It  was  impossible  to  set  a  limit 
to  what  a  ruthless  and  determined  man  like  Francisco 
Alvarez  might  do. 

Wyatt  rose  presently  after  a  nod  to  the  com 
mander  and  walked  among  the  soldiers.  He  seemed 
to  have  no  particular  object  in  view  and  his  strollings 
brought  him  near  to  the  edge  of  the  swampy  forest. 

"  Perhaps  he's  spying  about,  and  will  come  into 
the  woods  where  we  are,"  whispered  Henry. 
"  Maybe  he  has  those  maps  and  plans  upon  him,  and 
it  would  be  a  great  thing  to  get  them.  I  don't  be 
lieve  he  could  make  a  new  set  soon." 

"  It's  a  risky  thing  to  try,"  said  Shif'less  Sol, 
"  but  ef  he  comes  in  here,  an'  you  think  it  the  best 
thing  to  do,  I'm  ready  to  help." 

The  two  crouched  a  little  lower  and  remained 
breathless.  Braxton  Wyatt  strolled  on.  He  was 
making  a  sort  of  vague  inspection  of  the  camp,  but 
he  was  really  thinking  more  about  the  great  triumph 
that  he  saw  ahead.  Since  he  had  turned  renegade, 
leaving  his  own  white  race  to  join  the  Indians,  a 
thing  that  was  sometimes  done,  he  had  been  stung  by 
many  defeats  and  he  wished  a  great  revenge  that 
would  pour  oil  upon  all  these  wounds. 

A  bad  nature  grows  worse  with  failure.  Seeking 
to  injure  his  former  people  and  failing  at  every  turn, 
Braxton  Wyatt  hated  them  more  and  more  all  the 
time.  His  wrath  was  particularly  directed  against 
the  five  who  had  been  such  great  instruments  in  send 
ing  his  careful  plans  astray.  His  scheme  with  the 
Indian  league  had  failed  chiefly  through  them,  but 

137 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

he  felt  that  he  could  now  come  with  a  Spanish  force 
that  would  prove  irresistible.  That  was  why  he 
glowed  with  internal  warmth  and  pride.  The  set 
tlements  would  be  destroyed  and  he,  in  fact,  would 
be  the  destroyer. 

Braxton  Wyatt  entered  the  edge  of  the  woods, 
still  occupied  with  the  cruel  triumph  that  was  to  be 
his.  He  did  not  notice  that  the  foliage  was  gradually 
shutting  out  the  firelight.  Presently  he  saw,  or  be 
lieved  that  he  saw,  a  shadowy  but  terrible  figure. 
It  was  the  figure  of  the  one  whom  he  dreaded  most 
on  earth. 

It  was  but  a  glimpse  of  a  form,  seen  through  the 
bushes,  but  Wyatt's  blood  turned  cold  in  every  vein, 
He  uttered  a  half-choked  cry,  and  running  back 
through  the  bushes,  sprang  into  the  firelight.  Two 
or  three  Spanish  soldiers  looked  at  him  in  amaze 
ment,  but  he  was  not  a  coward,  and  he  had  pride  of 
a  kind.  As  soon  as  he  leaped  back  into  the  fire 
light  he  felt  that  he  had  made  a  fool  of  himself. 
Henry  Ware  could  not  have  been  there  —  he  and 
his  comrades  had  been  left  behind  long  ago.  Com 
ing  suddenly  out  of  his  thoughts,  he  had  been  de 
ceived  in  the  dark  by  a  bush  and  imagination  had 
done  the  rest.  Yes,  it  was  only  fancy! 

"  A  rattlesnake !  I  nearly  trod  on  him,"  he  said 
in  broken  Spanish  words  that  he  had  picked  up,  and 
then  walked  in  as  careless  a  manner  as  he  could  as 
sume  toward  the  mound  where  Francisco  Alvarez 
sat.  But  he  could  not  wholly  control  himself  —  the 
shock  had  been  too  great  —  and  his  body  yet  trem- 

138 


THE  CHATEAU  OF  BEAULIEU 

bled.  He  did  not  know  it,  but  the  pallor  of  his  face 
showed  through  the  tan,  and  Alvarez  noticed  it. 

"  You  have  had  a  fright,  Serior  Wyatt,"  he  said 
in  his  precise,  cold  English.  u  What  is  it?  " 

"  Not  a  fright,"  replied  Wyatt  in  tones  that  he 
sought  to  make  indifferent,  "  but  a  start.  I  nearly 
trod  on  a  rattlesnake  that  lay  coiled  ready  to  strike, 
and  I  got  away  just  in  time." 

The  Spaniard  regarded  him  with  a  penetrating 
look,  but  the  chilly  blue  eyes  expressed  nothing.  Yet 
Francisco  Alvarez  thought  that  a  bold  woodsman 
like  Braxton  Wyatt  would  not  show  so  much  fear 
after  a  harmless  passage  with  any  kind  of  a  snake. 

"  Do  you  think  the  five,  the  party  that  you  said 
were  so  much  to  be  dreaded,  are  still  following  us?  " 
he  asked  presently. 

The  pallor  showed  again  for  a  moment  through 
the  tan  in  Braxton  Wyatt's  face,  but  he  answered 
again  as  carelessly  as  he  could: 

"  It  may  be.  I  hate  them,  but  I  do  not  deny  that 
they  are  bold  and  resourceful.  They  have  a  good 
boat,  and  they  may  follow;  but  what  harm  could 
they  do?" 

"  As  I  told  you,  they  might  go  before  Bernardo 
Galvez,  our  Governor  General  at  New  Orleans,  and 
spoil  the  pretty  plan  that  you  and  I  have  formed. 
Galvez  is  —  as  he  calls  himself  —  a  Liberal.  He 
would  help  these  rebels  and  fight  England.  How 
can  a  Spaniard  lend  himself  to  the  cause  of  Republi 
can  rebels  and  injure  monarchy?  Cannot  he  fore 
see,  cannot  he  look  ahead  a  little  and  tell  what  rebel 

139 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

success  means?  It  would  in  the  end  be  as  great  a 
blow  to  Spain  as  to  England.  If  Kaintock  is  per 
mitted  to  grow  she  will  threaten  Louisiana.  These 
men  in  their  buckskins  are  daring  and  dangerous  and 
we  must  attend  to  them!  " 

The  Spaniard  clenched  his  hands  in  anger,  and  the 
blue  light  of  his  eyes  was  singularly  cruel. 

"  Galvez  is  a  fool,"  he  continued.  "  He  is  not 
allowing  the  English  to  trade  at  New  Orleans,  but 
he  is  giving  the  American  rebels  full  chance.  He 
has  allowed  one,  Pollock,  Oliver  Pollock,  to  estab 
lish  a  base  there.  This  Pollock  has  formed  a  com 
pany  of  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  Boston  mer 
chants,  and  they  are  sending  arms  and  ammunition  in 
fleets  of  canoes  up  the  Mississippi  and  then  up  the 
Ohio  to  Fort  Pitt,  where  they  are  unloaded  and  then 
taken  eastward  by  land  for  the  use  of  the  rebels.  A 
fleet  of  these  canoes  is  to  start  about  the  time  we 
arrive  in  New  Orleans." 

"  We  might  meet  it,"  suggested  Braxton  Wyatt, 
"  and  say  that  it  attacked  us." 

The  Spaniard  smiled. 

"  The  idea  is  not  bad,"  he  said,  "  and  it  could 
be  done.  We  could  sink  their  whole  fleet  of  canoes 
with  the  pretty  little  cannon  that  we  carry,  and  we 
could  prove  that  they  began  the  attack.  But  I  do 
not  choose  to  run  the  risk  of  compromising  myself 
just  yet.  There  is  a  more  glorious  enterprise  afoot. 
Hark  you,  Senor  Wyatt." 

Braxton  Wyatt  leaned  forward  and  listened  at 
tentively.  Francisco  Alvarez  had  drank  of  wine 

140 


THE  CHATEAU  OF  BEAULIEU 

that  evening,  and  his  blood  was  warm.  He,  too, 
dreamed  a  great  dream. 

"  You  are  a  man  of  discretion  and  you  have  helped 
me.  I  speak  to  you  as  one  devoted  to  my  cause.  If 
you  should  but  breathe  what  I  say  to  another  I  would 
first  swear  that  it  was  a  lie,  and  then  deliver  you  to 
these  five  gentlemen,  former  friends  of  yours,  who 
would  tear  you  in  pieces." 

Braxton  Wyatt  shivered  again,  and  the  Spaniard, 
seeing  the  shiver,  laughed  and  was  convinced. 

"  Why  should  I  betray  you?"  said  the  renegade. 
"  I  have  no  motive  to  do  so  and  every  possible  motive 
to  keep  faith." 

"  I  know  it,"  replied  Alvarez,  "  and  that  is  why 
I  speak.  It  is  to  your  interest  to  be  faithful  to  me 
and  when  my  enterprise  succeeds,  as  it  certainly  will, 
you  shall  have  your  proper  share  of  the  reward. 
Bernardo  Galvez,  as  you  know,  is  the  Governor 
General  of  Louisiana,  and  his  father  is  the  Viceroy  of 
Mexico.  They  are  powerful,  very  powerful,  and 
I  am  only  a  commander  of  troops  under  the  son,  but 
I,  too,  am  powerful.  My  family  is  one  of  the  first 
in  Spain.  It  sits  upon  the  very  steps  of  the  throne 
and  more  than  once  royal  blood  has  entered  our 
veins.  I  was  a  favorite  at  the  court  and  I  have 
many  friends  there.  The  King  might  be  persuaded 
that  Bernardo  Galvez  is  not  a  fit  representative  of 
the  royal  interests  in  Louisiana." 

Francisco  Alvarez  leaned  a  little  forward  and  his 
blue  eyes,  usually  so  chill,  sparkled  now  with  fire. 
He  was  speaking  of  what  lay  next  to  his  heart. 

141 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Braxton  Wyatt,  full  of  shrewdness  and  perception, 
understood  at  once. 

"  Bernardo  Galvez  might  give  way  as  Governor 
General  of  Louisiana,"  said  the  renegade,  "  to  be 
succeeded  by  a  better  man,  one  who  had  the  real  in 
terests  of  Spain  at  heart,  one  who  would  refuse  to 
give  the  slightest  aid  to  rebels,  rebels  who  would 
strike  against  a  throne !  " 

The  Spaniard  looked  pleased. 

"  I  see  that  you  are  a  man  of  penetration,  Sefior 
Wyatt,"  he  said,  "  and  I  am  fortunate  in  having  you 
as  a  lieutenant.  You  have  divined  my  thought.  I 
work,  not  for  the  interests  of  a  man  whose  name  has 
been  mentioned  by  neither  of  us,  but  for  the  true 
interests  of  Spain  and  the  divine  right  of  kings. 
What  is  this  miserable  Kaintock  which  is  springing 
up  ?  We  will  crush  it  out  as  you  would  have  crushed 
the  rattlesnake!  The  people  of  New  Orleans  and 
Louisiana  hate  rebels!  Why  should  they  not?  It 
is  the  rebels  who  in  time  will  take  Louisiana  from 
us  if  they  can,  not  England." 

Braxton  Wyatt  smiled.  He  was  delighted  to  the 
very  center  of  his  cunning  heart.  His  plans  and 
those  of  Alvarez  marched  well  together.  Each 
strengthened  the  other. 

"  I  am  with  you  to  the  end,"  he  said. 

1  The  end  will  be  a  glorious  triumph,"  said  the 
Spaniard  in  emphatic  tones. 

Meanwhile  Henry  and  Shif'less  Sol  still  lay  in  the 
thicket.  Their  project  to  seize  Braxton  Wyatt  and 
strip  him  of  the  maps  and  plans  had  been  defeated. 

142 


THE  CHATEAU  OF  BEAULIEU 

Henry  knew  that  the  renegade  had  caught  a  glimpse 
of  him  in  the  dusk  and  among  the  thick  bushes  and  he 
expected  an  immediate  alarm.  But  when  Wyatt 
raised  none,  he  and  Sol  lingered.  They  saw  the  ren 
egade  go  to  the  Spaniard's  side  on  the  little  mound, 
and  they  saw  the  two  talk  long  and  earnestly,  but,  of 
course,  they  could  not  understand  a  word  of  what 
was  said. 

"  They  look  mighty  pleased  with  one  another," 
whispered  Shif  less  Sol,  "  so  it's  bound  to  mean  that 
they're  up  to  the  worst  sort  o'  mischief." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Henry,  u  and  that  mischief  is  sure 
to  be  aimed  at  our  people." 

They  waited  about  a  half  hour  longer  and  then 
picked  their  way  back  through  the  marsh  to  their  own 
side  of  the  peninsula. 

It  was  now  very  late  and  Paul  and  Jim  Hart  were 
sound  asleep  in  the  boat,  but  Tom  Ross  was  keeping 
vigilant  guard. 

"Wuz  it  them?  "he  asked. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Henry.  "  They're  camped  on  the 
other  side  of  this  neck,  and  Braxton  Wyatt  is  still 
with  them.  There's  big  mischief  afoot  and  we've  got 
to  keep  on  following,  waiting  our  chance,  which,  I 
think,  will  come." 

They  did  not  start  until  noon  the  next  day,  in  order 
to  give  the  Spaniards  a  longer  lead,  and  they  rounded 
the  neck  of  land  very  slowly  lest  they  run  into  a  trap. 
But  when  the  river  lay  straight  before  them  again 
they  beheld  nothing.  They  passed  the  point  where 
the  Spaniards  had  camped  and  saw  the  dead  coals  of 

143 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

their  fires,  bat  they  did  not  stop,  continuing  instead 
their  steady  progress  down  stream. 

It  now  grew  hot  upon  the  water.  They  had  come 
many  hundreds  of  miles  since  the  start,  and  they  were 
in  a  warmer  climate.  The  character  of  the  vegeta 
tion  was  changing.  The  cypress  and  the  magnolia 
became  frequent  on  the  banks,  and  now  and  then  they 
saw  great,  drooping  live  oaks.  The  soil  seemed  to 
grow  softer  and  the  water  was  more  deeply  perme 
ated  with  mud.  Although  the  flood  was  gone,  the 
river  spread  out  in  places  to  a  vast  width,  and  even 
at  its  narrowest  it  was  a  gigantic  stream.  Other 
great,  lazy  rivers  poured  in  their  volume  from  east 
and  west.  Narrow,  deep  inlets,  half-hidden  in  veg 
etation,  extended  from  either  side.  There  were  ba 
yous,  although  the  five  had  not  yet  heard  the  name, 
and  many  of  them  swarmed  with  fish. 

The  warm  air  was  heavy  and  languorous  and  now 
Shif'less  Sol  confessed. 

"  I'm  gittin'  too  much  o'  it,  even  fur  a  lazy  man," 
he  said.  '  'Pears  to  me  I'm  always  wantin'  to  sleep. 
Now,  I  like  about  sixteen  hours  sleepin'  out  o'  the 
twenty-four,  but  when  it  comes  to  keepin'  awake  jest 
long  enough  to  eat  three  meals  a  day  I  ain't  in  favor 


o'  it." 


u  It  must  be  a  rich  country,  though,"  said  Tom 
Ross.     "  No  wonder  them  Spaniards  want  to  keep 


it." 


That  day  they  passed  at  some  distance  three  canoes 
containing  Indians,  but  the  canoes  showed  no  wish 
to  come  near  and  investigate.  Henry  said  that  the 

144 


THE  CHATEAU  OF  BEAULIEU 

Indians  in  them  looked  sprawling  and  dirty,  unlike 
the  alert,  clean-limbed  natives  of  the  North. 

"They  probably  belong,"  said  Paul,  "to  the 
Natchez  tribe  who  were  beaten  into  submission  long 
ago  by  the  French,  and  who  doubtless  lack  energy 
anyhow." 

The  Indian  canoes  went  lazily  on,  and  soon  were 
lost  to  sight.  Now  a  serious  problem  arose.  They 
were  approaching  the  settled  parts  of  Louisiana.  It 
is  true,  it  was  only  the  thinnest  fringe  of  white  people 
extending  along  either  shore  of  the  river  a  short  dis 
tance  above  New  Orleans,  but  they  were  coming  to 
a  region  in  which  they  would  be  noticed,  and  they 
might  have  to  explain  their  presence  before  they 
wished  to  do  so.  Nor  had  they  found  any  oppor 
tunity  to  capture  Braxton  Wyatt  and  his  maps  and 
plans.  Nevertheless,  they  hung  so  closely  on  the  trail 
of  Alvarez  that  every  night  and  morning  they  could 
see  the  smoke  of  his  camp  fire. 

They  stopped  one  evening  in  a  cove  of  the  river, 
sheltered  by  great  mournful  cypresses,  and  Henry 
and  Shif'less  Sol  went  out  again  to  scrutinize  the 
Spanish  camp.  They  returned  before  midnight  with 
unusual  news.  Alvarez  with  his  whole  force  had 
turned  from  the  Mississippi  and  had  gone  up  a  bayou 
about  four  miles.  There  he  had  landed  some  of  his 
small  cannon  and  stores  at  a  rude  wharf,  and  showed 
all  the  signs  of  making  a  stay,  but  whether  short  or 
long  they  could  not  tell. 

"  Alvarez  must  have  a  place,  a  plantation,  I  be 
lieve  they  call  it,  near  here,"  said  Paul  intuitively, 

145 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  and  he's  going  to  stop  at  it.  As  he  wants  to  get 
Spain  into  a  war  with  us  he  could  plot  a  lot  of  mis 
chief  in  a  house  of  his  own  away  from  New  Or 
leans." 

"  Of  course,  that's  it,"  said  Henry  with  conviction. 
"  Now  if  we  could  only  capture  Braxton  Wyatt  and 
then  carry  off  the  fellow  and  his  maps  and  plans  with 
us,  it  would  be  a  great  stroke.  It  might  make  Al 
varez  quit  his  wicked  plot." 

Henry  and  Shif'less  Sol  slept  briefly,  and  rising  be 
fore  daylight,  went  forth  to  investigate  again. 
When  they  arrived  at  the  edge  of  the  bayou,  they  saw 
that  the  work  of  removal  had  been  resumed  already. 
All  the  boats  had  been  tied  up  securely,  and  a  mon 
grel  lot  of  new  men  had  joined  the  Spanish  force, 
shiftless  and  half-civilized  Houma  and  Natchez  In 
dians,  coal  black  negroes,  some  from  the  West  Indies 
and  some  from  Africa,  Acadians,  and  fierce-looking 
adventurers  from  Europe.  Most  of  them  seemed  to 
be  laborers,  however,  and  they  worked  with  the  arms 
and  baggage  taken  from  the  boats.  Among  these 
laborers  were  several  stalwart  negro  women  with 
blazing  red  handkerchiefs  tied  around  their  heads. 

Alvarez  came  off  one  of  the  boats,  followed  by 
Braxton  Wyatt.  The  Spanish  commander  had  at 
tired  himself  with  great  care,  and  he  was  a  really 
splendid  figure  in  his  glittering  uniform  and  plumed 
hat.  His  gold-hiked  small  sword  swung  by  his  side. 
He  bore  himself  as  a  lord  proprietor,  and  in  fact  he 
was  such  at  this  moment.  He  was  about  to  go,  sur 
rounded  by  his  retainers,  to  his  own  house  on  a  huge 

146 


THE  CHATEAU  OF  BEAULIEU 

grant  of  land  made  to  him  by  the  Spanish  King  — • 
Spanish  kings  granted  lands  very  freely  in  America 
to  favorites,  and  the  relatives  of  favorites. 

Braxton  Wyatt  also  showed  pride.  Was  he  not 
the  most  trusted  friend  of  an  able  man  who  was 
dreaming  a  great  dream,  a  dream  that  would  come 
true  ?  The  last  remnants  of  his  border  attire  had  dis 
appeared  and  he,  too,  was  dressed  wholly  as  a  Span 
ish  officer,  though  by  no  means  so  splendidly  as  his 
chief. 

Alvarez  addressed  a  few  words  to  a  man  in  civil 
ian  attire,  evidently  his  overseer,  a  dark,  heavy  West 
India  Spaniard  who  carried  a  pistol  in  his  sash,  and 
then  advanced  through  the  rabble,  which  quickly  fell 
back  on  either  side  to  let  him  pass. 

Horses  were  in  waiting  for  Alvarez,  Wyatt,  and 
several  others,  and  mounting,  they  rode  off,  Henry 
and  Shif'less  Sol  watching  from  the  bush  as  well  as 
they  could,  and  following.  The  way  of  the  officers 
led  through  a  great  plantation  but  partially  redeemed 
from  the  ancient  forest.  Cane  and  grain  fields  were 
on  either  side  of  the  path,  and  presently  they  ap 
proached  a  large  house  of  only  one  story,  built  of 
wood,  and  surrounded  by  a  wide  veranda  supported 
with  posts  at  regular  intervals.  This  house  was 
built  around  a  court  in  the  center  of  which  was  a 
clear  pool. 

Henry  and  the  shiftless  one  saw  Alvarez  and  his 
company  dismount  and  enter  the  house.  They  no 
ticed  others  who  approached  on  foot,  but  who  did 
not  enter,  obviously  men  who  did  not  dare  to  enter 

147 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

unless  asked.  Among  them  was  a  thin,  middle-aged 
Natchez  Indian,  whose  extraordinary,  feline  face  had 
won  for  him  the  name  of  The  Cat.  Henry  particu 
larly  observed  this  man,  whose  manner  was  in  ac 
cordance  with  his  appearance  and  name.  Like  those 
they  had  seen  in  the  canoes  he  had  a  hangdog,  shift 
less  look,  different  from  the  bold  warrior  of  the  more 
northerly  forests. 

The  two  did  not  remain  long.  So  many  people 
were  about  that  they  were  likely  to  be  seen,  and  they 
returned  through  the  forest  to  the  cypress  cove  in 
which  "  The  Galleon  "  lay  hidden.  Here,  it  was 
agreed  that  they  should  go  forth  later  in  the  day  on 
another  tour  of  inspection,  re-inforced  by  Tom  Ross, 
while  Long  Jim  and  Paul  should  remain  to  guard  the 
boat  and  their  precious  stores. 

When  the  three  had  gone,  Long  Jim  sat  on  the 
edge  of  the  boat  and  looked  around  at  the  sluggish 
waters  of  the  bayou,  the  sad  cypresses,  and  the  droop 
ing  live  oaks.  An  ugly  water  snake  twined  its  slimy 
length  just  within  the  edge  of  the  bayou,  and  the  odor 
of  the  still  forest  about  them  was  heavy  and  oppres 
sive. 

Long  Jim  took  a  long,  comprehensive  look,  and 
then  heaved  a  deep  sigh. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Paul. 

14  I  don't  think  the  country  and  the  climate  agree 
with  me,"  replied  Long  Jim  lugubriously.  "  I  wuz 
never  so  fur  south  afore,  an'  I'm  a  delicate  plant,  I 
am.  I  need  the  snow  and  the  north  wind  to  keep  me 
fresh  an'  bloomin'.  All  this  gits  on  me.  My  lungs 

148 


THE  CHATEAU  OF  BEAULIEU 

don't  feel  clean.  I'm  longin'  fur  them  big,  fine 
woods  up  in  our  country,  whar  you  may  run  agin  a 
b'ar,  but  whar  you  ain't  likely  to  step  on  a  snake 
afore  you  see  it." 

"  Give  me  the  temperate  climate,  too,"  said  Paul, 
"  but  we've  come  on  a  great  errand,  Jim,  and  we've 
come  a  long  way.  It's  good,  too,  to  see  new  things." 

"  So  it  is,  but  I  don't  like  to  set  here  waitin'  in 
this  swamp.  Think  I'll  stretch  my  legs  a  little  on 
the  bank  thar,  ef  it's  firm  enough  to  hold  me  up, 
though  I  do  have  an  abidin'  distrust  uv  most  uv  the 
land  hereabouts." 

Jim  leaped  upon  the  bank  which  upheld  him,  and 
stretched  his  long  legs  with  obvious  relief. 

"  A  boat's  mighty  easy,"  he  said,  "  but  now  an7 
then  walkin's  good." 

He  strode  up  and  down  two  or  three  times  and 
then  he  stopped.  He  had  heard  a  sound,  faint,  it  is 
true,  but  enough  to  arrest  the  attention  of  Long  Jim. 
Then  he  went  on  with  a  look  of  disgust.  It  was 
surely  one  of  those  snakes  again ! 

He  was  about  to  pass  a  great  cypress  when  a  pair 
of  long,  brown  arms  reached  out  and  grasped  him 
by  the  throat.  Long  Jim  was  a  strong  man  and,  de 
spite  his  early  advantage,  it  would  have  gone  hard 
with  the  owner  of  the  arms,  none  other  than  The 
Cat  himself,  but  three  or  four  men,  springing  from 
the  covert,  threw  themselves  upon  him. 

Paul  heard  the  first  sounds  of  the  contest  and 
sprang  up.  He  saw  Long  Jim  struggling  in  the 
grasp  of  many  hands,  and  snatching  at  the  first 

149 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

weapon  that  lay  near,  he  sprang  to  the  bank,  rushing 
to  the  assistance  of  his  comrade. 

A  shout  of  derisive  laughter  greeted  Paul.  Long 
Jim  had  been  thrown  down  and  held  fast  and  the  lad 
was  confronted  by  none  other  than  Alvarez  himself, 
while  Braxton  Wyatt,  smiling  in  malignant  triumph, 
stood  just  behind  him. 

'*  Well,  my  young  man  of  Kaintock,"  said  Fran 
cisco  Alvarez  in  his  precise  English,  "  we  have  taken 
you  and  at  least  one  of  your  brother  thieves.  In  good 
time  we'll  have  the  others,  too.  It  was  an  evil  day 
when  you  ventured  on  my  plantation  so  near  such 
a  wonderful  tracker  as  The  Cat.  Why,  he  detected 
them  instinctively  when  your  comrades  ventured  near 
us!" 

The  eyes  of  the  stooping  Natchez  Indian  flashed1 
at  the  compliment  but,  in  a  moment,  he  resumed  his 
immobility.    All  the  blood  rushed  to  Paul's  face,  and 
he  could  not  contain  his  anger. 

'  Thief !  how  dare  you  call  me  a  thief !  "  he  said. 

'  This  is  my  boat  before  me,"  replied  Alvarez. 
"  You  stole  it." 

"  Not  so,"  replied  Paul.  "  We  captured  it.  You 
seized  and  held  me  a  prisoner  when  I  came  to  your 
camp  on  a  friendly  mission,  and  we  took  it  in  fair  re 
prisal  and  for  a  good  purpose.  Moreover,  you  are 
plotting  with  that  vile  renegade  there  to  destroy  our 
people  in  Kentucky !  " 

"  You  are  a  thief,"  repeated  Francisco  Alvarez 
calmly,  "  you  stole  my  boat.  Why,  the  very  sword 
that  you  hold  in  your  hand  is  mine,  stolen  from  me." 

150 


THE  CHATEAU  OF  BEAULIEU 

Paul  glanced  down.  In  his  haste  and  excitement 
he  had  snatched  up  one  of  the  beautiful  small  swords 
when  he  leaped  from  the  boat,  but  he  had  been  un 
conscious  of  it.  He  was  yet  free  and  he  held  a  sword 
in  his  hand.  One  of  the  men  who  was  holding  Jim 
Hart  suddenly  kicked  him  to  make  him  keep  quiet, 
and  Paul's  wrath  blazed  up  under  the  double  incen 
tive  of  the  blow  and  the  sneering  face  of  Francisco 
Alvarez. 

The  lad  rushed  forward,  sword  in  hand,  and  one 
of  the  soldiers  raised  his  musket.  Alvarez  pushed 
the  weapon  down. 

"  Since  this  young  rebel  wants  to  fight,  and  has 
a  stolen  sword  of  mine  in  his  hand,"  he  said,  "  he  can 
fight  with  me.  I  will  give  him  that  honor." 

So  speaking  Alvarez  drew  his  own  sword  and  held 
up  the  blade  to  the  light  until  it  glittered.  A  shout 
of  approval  arose  from  the  soldiers,  but  Long  Jim 
cried  out: 

"  It  ain't  fair!  It  ain't  right  to  take  one  uv  your 
kind  uv  weepins  an'  attack  him !  It's  murder !  Let 
me  loose  an'  I'll  fight  you  with  rifles." 

"Have  you  got  that  ruffian  securely  bound?" 
asked  Alvarez. 

(  Yes,"  replied  one  of  his  men. 

'  Then  I'll  teach  this  youth  a  lesson,  as  I  said." 

Paul  had  stopped  in  his  rush,  and  suddenly  he  be 
came  cool  and  collected. 

"  Don't  you  be  afraid  for  me,  Jim,"  he  said.  "  I 
can  take  care  of  myself,  and  I'll  fight  him." 

Alvarez  laughed  derisively  and  the  others  echoed 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

the  laugh  of  their  master,  but  Paul  held  up  his  own 
sword,  also,  until  it  glittered  in  the  light.  Every 
nerve  and  muscle  became  taut,  and  the  blood  went 
back  from  his  brain,  leaving  it  cool  and  clear. 

"  Come  on,"  he  said  to  Alvarez.     "  I'm  ready." 
They  stood  in  a  level  glade,  and  the  two  faced 
each  other,  the  sunshine  lighting  up  all  the  area  en 
closed  by  the  cypresses.    Around  them  stood  Braxton 
Wyatt  and  the  followers  of  Alvarez. 


CHAPTER  IX 

PAUL   AND   THE    SPANIARD 

FRANCISCO  ALVAREZ  never  suffered  from 
the  vice  of  humility.  While  he  was  planning 
to  make  himself  Governor  General  of  Louis 
iana  he  thought  also  that  the  selection  was  a  most 
admirable  one.  Nor  would  he  have  condescended 
now  to  cross  a  blade  with  this  boy  from  the  back 
woods,  but  his  pride  had  been  bitterly  hurt  by  the 
deeds  of  Paul  and  his  comrades.  Such  presumption 
must  be  punished,  and  the  punishment  must  be  of  a 
humiliating  kind. 

The  Spaniard  took  the  point  of  his  sword  between 
his  thumb  and  forefinger  and  bent  the  blade  a  little. 
The  steel  was  flexible  and  true.  Then  he  put  him 
self  on  guard,  and  physically  he  was  a  splendid  figure 
of  a  man,  tall,  compact,  and  obviously  skilled  with 
his  weapon. 

Long  Jim  Hart  writhed  again  in  his  bonds.  His 
heart  yearned  over  Paul,  his  young  comrade. 

"Stop  it!  stop  it!"  he  cried.  "It's  murder,  I 
say,  fur  a  man  used  to  them  weepins  to  set  upon  a 
boy." 

"  Shall  we  gag  this  fellow,  Captain?  "  asked  Brax- 
ton  Wyatt,  who  enjoyed  the  scene. 

153 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  No,"  replied  Alvarez,  scornfully.  "  Let  him 
make  as  much  noise  as  he  pleases." 

Paul  heard  Long  Jim's  second  protest,  but  now  he 
did  not  answer.  He  was  intently  watching  Alvarez. 
He  had  read  the  look  in  the  eye  of  the  Spanish  leader, 
and  he  knew  that  Alvarez  not  only  intended  to 
punish  him,  but  also  to  make  that  process  as  morti 
fying  as  possible.  But  Paul  was  yet  unafraid.  Al 
though  not  as  large  and  powerful  as  Henry,  he  was 
nevertheless  a  very  strong  youth,  used  to  the  open 
air  and  exercise,  and  wonderfully  flexible  and  alert. 
He  held  the  sword  lightly  but  firmly  with  the  point 
well  forward,  ready  for  any  movement  by  his  antag 
onist. 

Alvarez  came  a  step  nearer.  His  sword  flashed, 
but  Paul  dextrously  caught  the  stroke  upon  his  own 
weapon,  and  the  blade  glanced  off,  ringing.  Alvarez 
was  surprised.  He  had  seen  from  Paul's  position  and 
the  manner  in  which  he  held  his  weapon  that  he  knew 
something  about  the  sword,  but  he  was  not  prepared 
for  such  a  skillful  parry. 

"  Good,  Paul!  Good!  "  cried  Long  Jim,  a  sud 
den  hope  bounding  up  in  his  heart.  "  Go  in !  Trim 
him !  Slice  off  his  mustache  for  him !  " 

Alvarez  was  stung  by  the  taunt.  Braxton  Wyatt 
made  an  angry  movement  toward  Long  Jim,  but  the 
Spaniard  again  waved  him  back.  His  own  pride 
would  not  permit  him  to  silence  the  taunter  in  such  a 
way.  No,  he  would  silence  him  in  another  manner. 
But  the  cry  of  Long  Jim  had  its  effect  upon  Paul,  too. 
It  aroused  him  to  a  supreme  effort.  He  leaped  for- 

154 


PAUL  AND  THE  SPANIARD 

ward  suddenly,  thrust  quick  as  lightning,  and  then 
leaped  away.  The  Spaniard  had  parried,  but  the 
blade  nevertheless  cut  the  cloth  of  his  brilliant  coat, 
making  a  long  gash.  The  cut  was  not  in  the  flesh, 
only  in  the  cloth,  but  Alvarez  was  stung  by  it  and 
the  sting  became  the  more  bitter  when  Long  Jim 
cried  out: 

"Hooray,  Paul!  That  wuz  somethin'  like!  He 
thought  he  wuz  goin'  to  murder  you,  but  he  ain't!  " 

Alvarez,  furious,  rushed  in  and  Paul,  keen  of  eye 
and  alert  of  muscle,  fought  on  the  defensive.  Lucky 
for  him  now  that  he  remembered  all  the  lessons 
taught  to  him  by  the  old  soldier  of  the  great  French 
and  Indian  war,  and  lucky  for  him,  too,  that  he  had 
lived  such  a  temperate  life!  Steel  met  steel  and  the 
ringing  sound  filled  the  little  glade.  The  others  were 
silent,  leaning  a  little  forward,  lips  slightly  apart. 
A  new  element  of  uncertainty  had  come  into  the  com 
bat,  and  even  Braxton  Wyatt  shared  in  the  excite 
ment  that  had  been  aroused  by  it. 

Alvarez  uttered  a  cry  of  satisfaction  and  then 
stepped  back.  Paul  stood  still  while  the  blood  came 
slowly  from  a  cut  across  his  left  arm  and  dyed  his 
sleeve.  He  had  thrown  out  the  arm  just  in  time  to 
ward  off  a  thrust  at  his  heart,  but  he  received  a  slash 
in  its  place.  The  pain  was  considerable  but  Paul 
scarcely  felt  it;  his  mind  was  too  intent  on  the  crisis, 
and  his  head  was  yet  clear  and  cool. 

"Never  you  mind,  Paul!  Never  you  mind!  " 
cried  Long  Jim.  "  'Twas  only  a  lucky  sweep  uv  his ! 
you'll  git  him  yet." 

155 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Paul  gave  his  informal  second  a  smile  of  confi 
dence,  for  second  he  was  with  his  encouraging 
tongue,  even  though  bound  and  helpless  otherwise. 

Paul  suddenly  rushed  in,  struck  swiftly,  and,  al 
though  the  blow  was  parried,  he  thrust  again  so 
quickly  that  his  blade  passed  inside  the  guard  of  Al 
varez,  pierced  through  his  doublet,  and  wounded  him 
in  the  side.  Mad  with  pain  and  rage  Alvarez  struck 
furiously,  but  Paul  caught  the  blow  so  skillfully  that 
the  Spaniard's  sword  broke  in  his  hand. 

Long  Jim  shouted  with  delight. 

4  You've  beat  him,  Paul !  you've  beat  him !  "  he 
cried.  "  Go  in  now  and  trim  his  mustache  right  off 
his  face !  " 

Braxton  Wyatt  struck  him  a  blow  on  the  cheek. 

"  Shut  up,  will  you!  "  he  cried. 

Paul,  sword  in  hand,  turned  away.  He  would  not 
cut  down  an  unarmed  man,  and  some  strain  of  chiv 
alry  hidden  beneath  the  Spaniard's  ambition  and  cru 
elty  recognized  the  boy's  nobility.  He  stepped  aside 
and  rebuked  Braxton  Wyatt  for  striking  Long  Jim. 
Then  he  took  off  his  doublet  and  one  of  the  men 
bound  up  his  wound,  which  was  painful  but  not  at 
all  dangerous.  His  heart  was  full  of  rage  and  cha 
grin,  but  he  did  not  show  either. 

"  You  have  done  well  with  the  sword,"  he  said  to 
Paul,  "  I  admit  it,  and  I  am  in  a  position  to  know. 
But  you  must  surrender  it,  and  come  as  my  prisoner. 
Your  sword  can  be  no  defense  against  the  bullets  of 
my  soldiers." 

Paul  yielded  his  weapon.    It  would  have  been  folly 

156 


PAUL  AND  THE  SPANIARD 

to  resist  when  the  soldiers  stood  close  by,  loaded  guns 
in  hand,  but  he  felt,  nevertheless,  a  deep  satisfaction. 
He  had  performed  a  deed  of  valor,  worthy  of  Shif- 
less  Sol  or  Henry,  and  he  proudly  took  his  place  by 
the  side  of  the  other  prisoner,  Long  Jim.  The 
wound  in  his  arm  had  already  stopped  bleeding. 

"  I  didn't  know  it  was  in  you,  Paul,"  whispered 
Long  Jim,  "  but  I  never  had  anything  in  my  life  do 
me  more  good.  A  lot  uv  wicked  hopes  wuz  disap- 
p'inted  when  you  give  him  that  slash  in  the  side,  an* 
then  broke  his  sword." 

"  I  did  better  than  I  expected,"  replied  Paul 
briefly,  "  but  the  result  is  not  likely  to  endear  us  to 
Captain  Alvarez." 

"  Ef  I'd  been  keepin'  the  right  kind  uv  a  watch," 
said  Long  Jim,  "  this  wouldn't  have  happened.  We 
could  a'  got  4  The  Gall-yun '  out  in  the  stream  an' 
away." 

"  No,  Jim,"  replied  Paul,  "  it  was  no  fault  of 
yours.  Cunning  was  at  work.  They  had  located  us 
in  some  manner  and  they  prepared  a  surprise." 

Alvarez  and  Braxton  Wyatt  went  on  ahead.  Paul 
and  Jim  followed  in  the  midst  of  a  strong  guard  of 
soldiers.  The  road  led  again  through  corn  and  grain 
fields  where  cultivation  was  making  a  struggle  against 
the  luxuriance  of  a  semi-tropical  wilderness,  although 
with  small  success,  as  yet. 

A  stooping  figure  with  a  hideous,  feline  face  sham 
bled  up  by  the  side  of  Paul,  and  purposely  struck  his 
elbow  against  the  wound  upon  his  arm.  It  was  The 
Cat,  but  Paul,  whose  arms  had  been  left  unbound, 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

whirled,  without  hesitation,  and  struck  the  Natchez 
in  the  face. 

The  Cat  staggered  but  he  promptly  drew  a 
knife  and  Paul  might  have  been  slain,  but  a  soldier 
knocked  the  knife  from  the  Indian's  hand  and  re 
buked  him  severely.  The  soldier  was  Luiz,  a  Span 
iard  of  height  and  strength.  He  had  fared  badly  at 
the  hands  of  the  five,  but  his  life  had  also  been  saved 
by  one  of  them,  and  he  was  not  ungrateful.  He  did 
not  mean  that  these  two  prisoners  should  be  treated 
any  worse  than  the  captain  ordered.  He  compelled 
The  Cat  to  fall  back,  and  he  smiled  pleasantly  at 
Paul  and  Long  Jim. 

"  I  take  it  that  weVe  got  one  friend  in  this  crowd," 
said  Long  Jim. 

*  Yes,"  said  Paul,  "  and  we'll  need  all  we  can  g,er. 
Alvarez  seems  to  have  a  big  place  here,  a  sort  of 
feudal  estate." 

It  seemed  to  Paul  that  he  had  come  into  another 
world;  the  difference  between  this  and  Kentucky  was 
so  enormous.  There,  in  the  little  settlements,  every 
man  spoke  his  mind  and  the  life  was  all  freedom. 
Here,  fear  and  suspicion  abounded,  there  were  de 
grees  of  importance,  and  Alvarez  was  an  autocrat 
who  could  make  or  mar  as  he  pleased.  It  was  an  at 
mosphere  heavy  to  Paul's  lungs,  and,  like  Long  Jim, 
he  longed  for  the  great  forests  of  the  Ohio  River 
country.  Behind  the  chateau  were  some  low,  heavy 
out  buildings  of  logs,  and  Paul  and  Long  Jim  were 
thrust  into  one  of  these,  the  door  being  fastened  be 
hind  them  with  a  huge  padlocL  Alvarez  detailed 

158 


PAUL  AND  THE  SPANIARD 

Luiz,  who  seemed  to  rank  a  little  above  his  fellows, 
and  three  others  to  keep  watch  and  then,  feeling  that 
he  held  his  prisoners  securely,  the  commander  went 
into  the  chateau.  But  he  stopped  at  the  door  and 
ordered  that  a  gold  coin  and  as  much  rum  as  he  could 
drink  should  be  given  to  The  Cat. 

"  It  was  due  to  his  wonderful  instinct  and  cun 
ning,"  he  said,  "  that  we  captured  these  fellows  and 
recovered  my  boat.  It  was  an  important  achieve 
ment." 

Braxton  Wyatt  looked  with  intense  interest  at  the 
chateau,  which  was  unlike  anything  that  he  had  ever 
seen  before.  It  was  a  strange  compound  of  luxury 
and  roughness.  The  walls  were  of  wood,  often  ill- 
hewn,  but  several  pieces  of  beautifully-woven  tapes 
try  hung  upon  them.  Some  of  the  floors  were  entirely 
bare,  others  were  covered  partly  by  Eastern  rugs. 
Carved  and  curved  weapons  of  many  lands  adorned 
the  walls,  and  in  one  room  were  a  mandolin  and 
guitar. 

Alvarez  led  the  way  to  an  inner  court  or  patio, 
waving  back  all  except  Braxton  Wyatt.  The  patio 
was  large,  with  little  beds  of  flowers  in  the  corners, 
and  a  pool  of  pure,  fresh  water  in  the  center.  The 
pool  was  fed  by  a  little  stream  that  ran  from  a  brook 
near  the  chateau,  and  it  was  drained  by  a  similar 
stream. 

The  patio  was  enclosed  by  a  narrow,  interior 
veranda,  and  the  veranda  held  deep  cane  chairs,  ont 
of  which  Alvarez  took,  waving  Braxton  Wyatt  to 
another. 

159 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

The  Spanish  commander  with  a  great  air  of  relief 
and  luxury  leaned  back  in  his  cane  chair.  He  loved 
the  south  and  the  sunshine  to  which  he  was  born,  and, 
although  bold  and  hardy,  he  had  little  liking  for  the 
great,  cold  forests  of  the  North.  He  clapped  his 
hand  and  a  servant  brought  glasses  and  wine.  Al 
varez  filled  the  glasses  himself  and  handed  the  first 
courteously  to  Wyatt. 

"  Drink,"  he  said,  "  I  am  glad  that  expedition  is 
over.  The  Governor  General  wished  me  to  go,  to  ex 
plore,  to  make  treaties,  and  to  secure  our  title,  but  the 
wilderness,  though  interesting,  grows  monotonous." 

"  It  is  comfortable  here,"  said  Braxton  Wyatt, 
stretching  himself  in  the  great  cane  chair.  He  was 
entirely  recovered  from  his  own  wound  and  he  appre 
ciated  the  luxury  of  the  place. 

'  Yes,  it  is  indeed  grateful  to  the  tired  body  and 
limbs.  I  could  feel  a  complete  sense  of  rest  and  vic 
tory,  if  it  were  not  for  the  sting  of  the  wound  that 
boy  gave  me.  Who  could  have  thought  that  I  should 
be  defeated  with  the  sword  by  a  boy  from  the  woods 
of  Kaintock?" 

The  Spaniard  frowned  and  narrowed  his  cruel 
blue  eyes.  Braxton  Wyatt  murmured  some  words  of 
sympathy,  but  in  his  heart  he  was  not  sorry  because 
of  the  incident.  He  thought  that  Alvarez  at  times 
had  patronized  him  too  much,  had  assumed  too  lofty 
an  air,  and  he  was  willing  to  see  him  suffer  mortifica 
tion.  Moreover,  he  could  use  the  hurt  pride  of  Al 
varez  as  an  additional  incitement  against  the  five 
whom  he  hated. 

1 60 


PAUL  AND  THE  SPANIARD 

"  You  told  me  once,"  said  Alvarez  "  that  the  three 
comrades  of  the  two,  the  three  whom  we  have  not 
captured,  are  much  to  be  dreaded,  and  we  have  had 
proof  of  it?  " 

"  It  is  so." 

"  But  what  can  they  do  now?  " 

"  But  little,"  answered  the  renegade.  "  It  was 
farther  north  in  the  great  wilderness,  where  they  are 
so  much  at  home,  that  they  could  do  us  harm.  Here 
within  the  fringe  of  the  French  and  Spanish  settle 
ments,  they  will  be  hampered  too  much." 

"  Yes,  I  should  think  so,"  said  Alvarez  thought 
fully.  "  As  you  perhaps  surmise,  I  am  going  to  stay 
here  indefinitely,  Wyatt.  This  place  of  mine,  Beau- 
lieu,  I  call  it,  is  at  a  suitable  distance  from  New  Or 
leans  and  I  am  an  absolute  monarch  while  I  remain. 
Here,  on  the  border,  I  am  as  a  military  commander, 
practically  lord  of  life  and  death,  and  on  one  excuse 
or  another  I  can  hold  the  troops  as  long  as  I  please." 

"  Which  seems  to  me  to  be  very  convenient  for  all 
our  plans,"  said  Braxton  Wyatt. 

The  Spaniard  smiled,  but  speedily  contracted  his 
brows  again.  The  cut  that  Paul  had  given  him  was 
hurting. 

"  I  should  like  to  punish  that  boy  in  some  spectacu 
lar  manner,"  he  said.  "  I  should  want  him  to  be  hu 
miliated  in  the  presence  of  others  as  I  was." 

Suddenly  he  raised  his  head,  which  he  had  bent 
in  thought,  and  his  lips  curled  in  laughter  under  his 
yellow  mustache. 

"I  have  it!"  he  exclaimed.  "An  idea!  Since 
161 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

young  Kaintock  can  use  the  sword  I  shall  give  him  a 
chance  to  do  it  again  !  Oh,  I  shall  give  him  every  op 
portunity !  " 

Then  he  leaned  over  and  spoke  in  lower  tones  to 
Braxton  Wyatt,  The  renegade's  eyes  lighted  up  with 
delight. 

"  The  very  thing!  "  he  exclaimed.  "  I'd  have  it 
done  at  once  !  " 

Paul  and  Long  Jim  Hart  meanwhile  were  resting 
in  their  log  prison.  Jim's  arms  had  been  unbound 
and,  after  rubbing  them  freely,  he  said  that  the  cir 
culation  was  restored.  Then  the  two  turned  their 
attention  to  their  prison.  Paul  surmised  that  it  had 
been  built  as  a  tool  house  or  store  house,  but  at  pres 
ent  it  was  empty  save  for  himself  and  his  comrade, 
Long  Jim. 

The  only  light  came  from  two  little  windows  made 
merely  by  cutting  out  a  section  of  log  and  quite  too 
small  to  admit  a  human  body.  They  tried  the  door 
but  it  was  so  strong  that  they  could  not  shake  it. 
Then  Long  Jim  lay  calmly  down  on  the  floor. 

"  Paul,"  he  said,  u  I  don't  believe  I  wuz  ever 
fastened  up  in  sech  a  little  place  ez  this  afore,  Ef 
I  stretch  out  my  legs  my  feet  will  hit  the  wall  over 
thar,  an'  the  place  is  so  close  an'  hot  I  don't  breathe 
good." 

"  We'll  have  to  stand  it  for  a  while,"  said  Paul 
philosophically. 

"  That's  so,"  said  Long  Jim,  "  I  don't  s'pose  they 
mean  to  murder  us  ez  we're  not  at  real  war  with  the 
Spaniards,  so  I  wonder  what  they  mean  to  do." 

162 


PAUL  AND  THE  SPANIARD 

Paul  shook  his  head.  But  he  understood  better 
than  Long  Jim  the  dangers  of  their  situation.  He 
knew  the  temper  and  character  of  Alvarez,  and  he 
knew,  too,  that  at  this  distant  chateau  he  was  omnip 
otent.  Alvarez  was  bent  on  making  war  upon  the 
settlers  in  Kentucky,  and  nothing  would  stop  him. 

"  Henry  an'  Sol  an'  Tom  are  free,"  said  Long 
Jim.  "  They'll  git  us  out,  shore." 

They  remained  a  long  time  undisturbed,  and  the 
air  in  the  room  was  so  close  and  hot  that  both  became 
languorous  and  sleepy.  Nor  was  there  any  sound 
except  the  droning  of  some  flies  overhead  and  this 
added  to  the  heaviness.  Paul  finally  rose  and  gazed 
through  the  little  windows,  but  he  saw  only  an  empty 
field  and  the  edge  of  the  forest.  Save  for  this 
glimpse  of  green  they  were  completely  cut  off  from 
the  world.  He  sat  down  again  on  the  floor  and  com 
posed  his  figure  as  comfortably  as  he  could. 

"  How  long  do  you  think  we  hev  been  in  here, 
Paul?  "  asked  Long  Jim. 

"  About  four  hours." 

"  Four  hours !  why,  I  thought  it  wuz  four  months. 
Paul,  I  don't  believe  I  could  stand  this  more'n  a  week, 
no  matter  ef  they  fed  me  upon  the  finest  things  in  the 
land.  At  the  end  uv  a  week  I'd  turn  right  over  an' 
die,  an'  when  they  examined  me  to  see  the  cause  uv 
my  death,  they'd  find  that  my  heart  wuz  broke  in 
two,  right  squar'  down  the  middle." 

'  They  say  that  some  wild  animals  die  in  captivity, 
and  you  might  call  it  of  a  broken  heart." 

"  I'm  one  uv  them  kind.     I  like  lots  uv  room.     I 

163 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

want  it  to  be  clean  woods  an'  prairie  runnin'  a 
thousan'  miles  from  me  in  every  direction.  An'  I 
don't  want  too  many  people  trampin'  'roun'  in  them 
woods  either,  save  Injuns  to  keep  you  lookin'  lively, 
an'  mebbe  twenty  or  thirty  white  men  purty  well 
scattered.  I  reckon  I'd  call  that  my  estate,  Paul,  an' 
I'd  want  it  swarmin'  with  b'ars  an'  buffaler  an'  deer, 
an'  all  kinds  uv  big  an'  little  game.  Then  I'd  want 
a  couple  uv  good  rifles,  one  to  take  the  place  uv 
tother  when  it  went  bad,  an'  a  couple  uv  huts  p'raps 
three  or  four  hundred  miles  apart  to  sleep  in,  when 
the  weather  wuz  too  tarnation  bad,  lots  uv  ammuni 
tion  an',  Paul,  I'd  be  happy  on  that  thar  estate  uv 


mine." 


"Aren't  you  a  little  bit  grasping,  Jim?"  asked 
Paul. 

"  Me,  graspin',"  replied  Long  Jim  in  a  surprise. 
"  What  makes  you  ask  sech  a  foolish  question,  Paul? 
Why,  all  I  ask  is  to  range  ez  fur  an'  ez  long  ez  I 
like  an'  not  to  be  bothered  by  no  interlopers.  I 
don't  want  to  crowd  nobody,  an'  I  don't  want  nobody 
to  crowd  me.  But,  Paul,  ef  a  feller  could  do  that 
fur  about  a  thousand  years  wouldn't  it  be  a  life 
wuth  livin'?  Just  think  uv  all  the  deer  hunts  an' 
buffaler  hunts  an'  b'ar  hunts  you  could  hev !  An' 
the  long  beaver  trappin'  trips,  you  could  go  on? 
An'  the  new  rivers  an'  new  mountings  you  could 
find!  The  Injuns  has  the  right  idea  about  Heaven, 
Paul.  They  make  it  the  happy  huntin'  grounds. 
Them  huntin'  grounds  o'  theirs  run  ten  million  miles 
in  every  direction.  You  couldn't  ever  come  to  any 

164 


PAUL  AND  THE  SPANIARD 

end.  No  matter  how  fur  you  went  you'd  see  oceans 
uv  green  trees  ahead  uv  you,  an'  on  one  side  uv  you 
prairies  covered  with  buffaler  herds  so  big  that 
they'd  be  a  week  passin'  you,  an'  then  they'd  still  be 
passin'." 

Long  Jim  heaved  a  deep  sigh  and  was  silent  for 
a  while.  Paul,  too,  was  silent.  At  last  Long  Jim 
said: 

"  I  s'pose  it  don't  pay,  Paul,  to  be  drawin'  sech 
splendiferous  pictures  uv  what  ain't.  Now  I've 
gone  an'  made  myself  onhappy,  talkin'  uv  them  glo 
rious  huntin'  grounds  that  stretch  away  without  end, 
when  here  we  are  in  this  hot  box  so  narrer  I  can't 
straighten  out  my  legs.  Besides,  I'm  gittin'  pow'ful 
hungry.  I  wonder  ef  they  mean  to  starve  us  to 
death.  Strikes  me  that's  an  awful  mean  way  uv 
killin'  a  man.  He  not  only  dies  but  he's  so  terrible 
hungry  sech  a  long  time." 

But  Long  Jim's  forebodings  were  not  fulfilled. 
When  the  light  that  came  through  the  little  windows 
began  to  grow  dusky,  the  door  wras  thrown  open  and 
Luiz  and  another  man  entered  with  food  and  water. 
Luiz  could  not  speak  English,  but  he  could  make 
pantomime,  and  in  that  dumb  but  suggestive  way  he 
invited  them  to  partake  freely.  Long  Jim's  good 
humor  returned. 

"  Don't  keer  ef  I  do,  Mr.  Spaniard,"  he  said  jo 
vially.  '  It's  a  failin'  uv  mine  to  want  to  eat  when 
ever  I'm  hungry,  an'  since  you're  invitin',  why,  I'll 
jest  accept." 

The  door  was  left  open  while  Luiz  and  the  soldier 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

were  inside,  but  several  other  soldiers  were  on  guard 
at  the  opening,  and  there  was  no  chance  for  a  dash. 
But  fresh  air  came  in,  the  cooler  air  of  the  evening, 
and  Paul  and  Long  Jim  were  greatly  relieved.  Yet 
Jim  Hart  cast  many  a  longing  glance  at  the  open 
door.  Outside  was  the  wide  world,  and  his  place 
was  there.  Darkness  was  coming,  but  darkness 
would  have  no  terrors  for  Long  Jim,  if  only  there 
were  no  walls  about  him. 

When  hunger  and  thirst  were  satisfied,  Luiz  and 
his  comrade  fell  back  respectfully.  A  tall  figure, 
followed  by  a  man  bearing  a  torch,  entered  the  door 
way. 

The  man  was  Francisco  Alvarez,  but  neither  Paul 
nor  Long  Jim  rose,  Paul  because  he  disliked  the 
Spaniard  and  considered  him  a  bitter  enemy  of  his 
people,  Long  Jim  because  he  saw  no  reason  why  he 
should  rise  for  anybody. 

Alvarez  looked  down  at  them  and  the  sight  of  the 
two  caused  him  a  mixture  of  anger  and  triumph. 
His  wound  still  stung,  but  at  the  bottom  of  his  heart 
was  a  feeling  that  he  had  deserved  it.  In  the  pres 
ence  of  his  own  retainers,  and  with  all  the  circum 
stances  in  his  favor,  he  had  sought  to  humiliate  a 
boy.  But  this  faint  feeling  was  not  enough  to  in 
duce  corresponding  action.  He  was  also  something 
of  a  statesman,  and  he  saw  the  power  behind  these 
two  who  had  come  out  of  the  woods.  They  were 
foresters,  they  wore  the  tanned  skin  of  the  deer,  but 
they  belonged  to  the  soil;  they  were  natives,  while  he, 
in  all  his  brilliant  uniform  and  gold  lace,  was  a  for- 

166 


PAUL  AND  THE  SPANIARD 

eigner,  merely  the  long,  extended  arm  of  a  power 
four  thousand  miles  away.  The  two  were  but  a 
vanguard,  others  would  come  and  yet  others  in  a 
volume,  always  increasing.  The  only  possibility  of 
saving  Louisiana  was  to  cut  off  the  stream  at  the 
fountain  head,  while  it  was  yet  a  thin  and  trickling 
rill,  and  he,  Francisco  Alvarez,  was  the  man  for  the 
deed. 

It  was  because  such  thoughts  as  these  were  passing 
through  his  head  that  he  did  not  speak  for  at  least 
a  minute,  but  stood  steadily  regarding  Paul  and  Long 
Jim.  He  knew  instinctively  that  it  was  Paul  to 
whom  he  must  speak,  the  boy  with  the  thoughtful, 
dreamy  eye,  who,  like  himself,  would  gaze  far  into 
the  future. 

''Where  are  your  comrades?"  he  asked,  "the 
other  three  who  helped  you  to  steal  my  boat?  " 

"  Captured  it,  you  mean,"  replied  Paul,  calmly. 
"  So  long  as  you  use  the  words  *  steal  '  and  *  thief,' 
you  can  talk  to  the  air.  I've  nothing  to  say." 

u  Nor  me  either,  Paul,"  said  Long  Jim,  "  I  can't 
remember  another  time  in  my  life  when  I  felt  so 
little  like  talkin'." 

Long  Jim  leaned  his  head  against  the  wall  and 
half  closed  his  eyes.  His  manner  expressed  the  ut 
most  indifference.  Alvarez  frowned,  but  he  remem 
bered  that  they  were  wholly  in  his  power  and  he  had 
plans. 

"  I'll  change  the  words,"  he  said,  "  but  I  repeat 
the  question.  Where  are  your  comrades?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Paul,  and  feeling  a  sud- 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

den  happy  thrill  of  defiance  he  added:     "  They  are 
probably   somewhere   arranging   the    details   of   our 


rescue." 


Alvarez  frowned  again. 

"  That  is  impossible,"  he  said.  "  Perhaps  you  do 
not  know  your  position.  You  are  not  at  New  Or 
leans.  Here  I  am  both  the  civil  and  military  chief 
and  this  is  my  own  place.  I  can  put  you  to  death 
as  brigands  or  guerillas,  caught  red-handed  upon 
Spanish  soil." 

"  Both  charges,  you  know,  are  false,"  said  Paul, 
"  you  know,  too,  that  we  have  come  to  defeat,  if  we 
can,  a  conspiracy  between  you  and  Braxton  Wyatt, 
a  renegade  whose  life  is  doubly  forfeit  to  his  people. 
He  carries  plans,  maps,  and  full  information  of  our 
settlements  in  Kentucky,  and  he  expects  that  you 
will  go  with  many  soldiers  and  cannon  to  help  him 
and  the  tribes  destroy  us.  What  plans  you  and  he 
have  beyond  this  I  do  not  know,  but  these,  my 
friends  and  I  hope  to  defeat,  and  we  feel  we  could 
not  be  engaged  in  a  greater  or  holier  task." 

Paul  spoke  with  great  fire  and  eloquence.  His 
soul  was  revealed  in  his  eyes,  and  Alvarez  felt  that 
he  was  in  touch  with  a  mind  of  no  common  order. 

''Imagination!"  said  the  Spaniard  trying  to 
laugh  the  impression  away.  "  I  find  in  Serior  Wyatt 
a  pleasant  and  intelligent  assistant.  He  under 
stands  the  rights  of  the  King  of  Spain  in  these  vast 
regions,  and  has  a  due  regard  for  them.  You 
and  your  comrades  are  outlaws,  subject  to  the  penalty 
of  death  and  I  hold  you  in  my  hand.  Yet  I  am  dis- 

168 


PAUL  AND  THE  SPANIARD 

posed  to  be  generous.  Give  me  your  oath  that  you 
and  your  comrade  here  and  the  three  in  the  woods 
will  go  back  to  Kaintock  at  once  and  remain  there, 
and  I  will  release  you." 

Paul  regarded  him  steadily.  Bold  man  as  he  was, 
the  Spaniard's  eyes  fell  at  last. 

'  We  can  give  no  such  promise,"  said  Paul.  "  I 
think  that  the  reasons  why  we  should  go  on  to  New 
Orleans  are  exceedingly  strong." 

"  Ez  fur  me,"  said  Long  Jim,  "  I  ain't  ever  been 
fond  uv  goin'  back  on  my  own  tracks  until  I  git 
good  an'  ready." 

"  I  merely  came  here  to  give  you  a  chance,"  said 
Alvarez,  still  addressing  himself  to  Paul.  "  Do  you 
think  that  a  few  woodsmen  can  stand  in  the  path  of 
Spain?  Do  you  think  that  a  great  ancient  monarchy 
can  be  held  back  by  stray  settlers?  " 

"  You  seem  to  be  afraid  of  it  yourself,"  said  Paul 
who  was  regarding  him  closely. 

A  flush,  despite  himself,  came  into  the  Spaniard's 
cheeks,  and  it  was  partly  of  anger  because  a  boy  had 
read  his  mind  so  well.  It  was  not  a  thing  to  be 
endured. 

u  I  repeat  that  I  came  merely  to  give  you  a 
chance,"  he  said.  "  Whatever  you  may  suffer  you 
can  now  bear  in  mind  that  you  are  the  cause  of  it. 
Come,  Luiz,  I  have  wasted  too  much  time." 

He  walked  out  followed  by  the  soldier,  but  Fran 
cisco  Alvarez  had  known  before  entering  the  prison 
that  his  offer  would  be  declined.  He  merely  wished 
to  clear  away  any  light  burden  that  might  rest  on 

169 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

his  conscience,  before  proceeding  with  another  plan 
that  he  had  in  mind. 

Paul  and  Jim  did  not  say  a  word  until  the  door 
was  fastened  and  they  were  left  to  the  darkness. 
Then  it  was  Jim  who  unburdened  himself. 

"  Paul,"  he  said,  "  did  you  ever  see  a  panther  git- 
tin'  ready  to  jump?  Notice  how  his  eyes  turn  a 
yellery-green,  'cause  he  thinks  he's  goin'  to  git  what 
he  wants  right  away?  Notice  how  his  mouth  is 
slobberin'  'cause  he  thinks  he's  goin'  to  hev  his  dinner 
on  the  spot.  Notice  how  his  body  is  drawed  upv 
an'  his  tail  is  slowly  movin'  side  to  side,  'cause  he 
thinks  he's  goin'  to  sink  his  claws  in  tender  flesh  the 
next  second !  Wa'al  that  panther  makes  me  think 
uv  this  here  Spaniard,  Alvarez.  I  think  we  kin  look 
fur  jest  about  ez  much  kindness  an'  gentlin'  from  him 
ez  a  fawn  could  expect  from  a  hungry  panther." 

"  You  are  certainly  right,  Jim,"  said  Paul. 

"  Uv  course !  Ef  I  didn't  know  thar  wuz  so  many 
soldiers  about,  I'd  send  a  whoop  through  one  uv 
them  little  winders  thar,  an'  bring  Henry,  Tom,  an' 
Sol  here  to  let  us  out." 

"  As  we  can't  do  that,  Jim,"  said  Paul,  "  I  think 
I'll  go  to  sleep." 


CHAPTER  X 

A    BARBARIC    ORDEAL 

WHEN  Paul  awoke  the  next  morning  just 
after  daylight,  he  did  not  feel  very  good. 
Accustomed  all  his  life  to  fresh  air  and  in 
finite  spaces,  the  close,  hot  little  log  house  oppressed 
him.  His  head  felt  heavy  and  his  lungs  choked. 
Jim  felt  likewise  and  made  audible  complaint,  but 
the  door  was  soon  opened,  and  again  it  was  Luiz 
and  a  comrade  with  food. 

"  Luiz,  you  ain't  no  beauty  an'  you  can't  talk  a  real 
decent  language,"  said  Long  Jim,  "  but  I'm  pow'ful 
glad  to  see  you." 

The  words  were  foreign  to  Luiz,  but  he  under 
stood  Long  Jim's  tone.  He  smiled  and  showed  his 
white  teeth,  but  when  his  glance  fell  upon  Paul  he 
became  sad.  Then  he  looked  quickly  away.  He 
did  not  wish  either  Paul  or  his  comrade  to  read  any 
thing  in  that  glance.  Luiz  did  not  have  a  bad 
heart  and  he  was  troubled. 

When  they  had  eaten  their  breakfast,  Luiz  put 
his  hand  on  Paul's  shoulder,  and  pointed  to  the  door, 
beckoning  also  to  Long  Jim.  His  manner  indicated 
plainly  that  they  were  to  leave  the  prison. 

"  All  right,  pardner,"  said  Long  Jim.  "  You 
171 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

won't  have  to  git  no  pole  to  pry  me  out  uv  this 
place." 

Luiz  led  the  way  and  the  two  followed  gladly. 
The  air  was  crisper  and  fresher  than  usual,  and  to 
both  of  them  it  felt  divine.  They  inhaled  deep 
breaths,  and  thought  that  the  world  had  never  looked 
so  beautiful.  What  a  golden  sunrise !  What  a  blue 
sky !  What  magnificent  green  woods  off  there  under 
the  horizon!  They  felt  strength  and  courage  rush 
ing  back  in  a  flood. 

'Which  way  now,  Mr.  Spaniard?"  said  Long 
Jim.  "  Has  your  captain  repented,  an'  does  he  want 
to  give  us  the  finest  rooms  in  his  house?  I  can't 
say  that  we  liked  the  tavern  he  made  us  stop  at  last 
night." 

Luiz  shook  his  head,  either  to  signify  that  he  did 
not  understand  or  that  there  was  no  reply,  and  led 
the  way  down  a  narrow  path  shut  in  on  either  side 
with  magnolias  and  cypresses.  The  little  group  of 
soldiers  enclosed  Paul  and  Long  Jim,  but  all  their 
glances  were  for  the  boy,  none  for  the  man. 

The  enclosed  path  led  on  for  two  or  three  hundred 
yards.  Paul  now  and  then  caught  glimpses  through 
the  trees  of  the  chateau  or  a  passing  face,  and  he 
heard  a  low  murmur  that  seemed  to  be  the  hum  of 
many  voices. 

The  path  ended  presently  at  a  gate  in  a  high 
board  wall,  and  both  gate  and  wall  were  thick  and 
strong.  Here  a  Spaniard  dressed  like  a  minor  of 
ficer  was  waiting,  and  began  to  unlock  the  gate. 

"  Now  what  under  the  sun  can  they  be  about?" 
172 


A  BARBARIC  ORDEAL 

asked  Long  Jim,  to  whom  all  this  seemed  very 
strange.  "  Are  they  goin'  to  tie  us  up  in  a  pen?  " 

The  heavy  gate  was  unlocked  and  swung  open 
a  foot  or  so.  Two  soldiers  suddenly  seized  Long 
Jim  and  pulled  him  back,  while  another  thrust  Paul 
into  the  open  space.  The  officer  put  in  his  hand  a 
sword  —  the  very  one  with  which  he  had  wounded 
Alvarez,  Paul's  fingers  closing  mechanically  over 
the  hilt.  Then  they  shoved  Paul  inside,  and  quickly 
closed  and  locked  the  gate  behind  him.  But  the 
last  look  that  Luiz  had  bent  upon  the  boy  was  one  of 
pity  and  sympathy. 

Paul  staggered  with  the  force  of  the  push  that 
the  men  had  given  him,  and  for  a  moment  or  two  he 
was  dazed,  but  eye  and  brain  alike  cleared  as  a 
great  shout  arose.  Then  he  beheld  an  extraordinary 
scene. 

The  boy  stood  within  a  ring  fence  enclosing  a 
circular  space  perhaps  thirty  yards  across,  free  from 
grass,  and  trodden  hard.  The  fence  was  of  boards 
only  about  half  way  around,  the  rest  of  it  being 
made  of  strong  parallel  bars  about  two  feet  apart 
and  fastened  to  posts.  At  the  far  side  a  rude  log 
stable  seemed  to  open  into  it.  The  place  might 
have  been  intended  as  a  breaking  ground  for  horses 
but  Paul  did  not  have  time  to  think. 

Facing  him  just  outside  the  fence  and  sitting  on 
a  hastily  constructed  wooden  seat  was  Francisco  Al 
varez,  still  in  his  finest  uniform.  Beside  him  was 
Braxton  Wyatt,  also  in  a  Spanish  uniform,  and  all 
about  them  on  either  side,  wherever  the  fence  was 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

made  of  parallel  bars  and  open  to  see,  clustered  the 
mob,  soldiers,  laborers,  servants,  white  faces,  black 
faces,  yellow  faces,  brown  faces,  straight  hair,  curly 
hair,  and  kinky  hair,  French,  Spaniards,  Portuguese, 
Indians,  negroes,  and  many  mixtures,  every  one  eager 
and  tense,  and  every  eye  bent  upon  Paul  who  stood, 
back  to  the  gate,  holding  the  sword  in  his  hand,  but 
unconscious  that  he  held  it. 

What  was  this  mummery?  Why  was  he  a  spec 
tacle  for  that  mob  ?  All  the  blood  rushed  to  Paul's 
head  and  the  little  pulses  in  his  temples  began  to 
beat  like  hammers.  He  looked  at  Alvarez,  but  the 
Spaniard  had  turned  his  face  into  a  stony  mask,  and 
he  could  read  no  meaning  there.  Then  he  looked  at 
Braxton  Wyatt,  and  the  renegade's  countenance 
plainly  expressed  malignity  and  triumph. 

The  great  shout  that  greeted  the  entrance  of  Paul 
died  away  to  a  silence  so  heavy  that  it  seemed  omi 
nous.  Then  Francisco  Alvarez  looked  toward  the 
wooden  building,  at  the  far  side  of  the  ring,  and 
raised  his  hand.  A  gate  there  was  thrown  open, 
and  a  man,  sword  in  hand,  strolled  lazily  out.  Again 
a  tremendous  shout  arose,  and  the  mob  pressed  closer 
to  the  bars,  those  in  front  sitting  on  the  grass  and 
those  behind  standing  up  in  order  that  they  might 
look  over  them. 

Francisco  Alvarez  raised  his  hand  a  second  time, 
and  instantly  there  was  silence  once  more.  He  was 
like  a  feudal  lord  dispensing  justice  in  the  open  air 
before  all  his  retainers. 

"  Kaintock,"  he  called  in  a  loud  voice,  "  since  you 
174 


A  BARBARIC  ORDEAL 

are  so  expert  with  the  sword,  we  give  you  another 
chance  to  display  your  skill.  Defend  yourself  from 
this  champion." 

Again  the  approving  shout  of  the  mob  arose,  and 
Paul  looked  across  the  ring,  where  the  swordsman 
had  come  forth. 

The  man  was  of  great  size,  and  his  whole  ap 
pearance  reminded  Paul  of  the  ancient  gladiators  of 
whom  he  had  read.  He  seemed  to  be  a  West  Indian 
of  Spanish  descent,  very  dark  and  with  immense 
shoulders.  He  wore  a  red  shirt,  which  added  to 
his  strange  and  savage  appearance.  He  carried  in 
his  hand  a  long  sword,  much  longer  than  Paul's  and 
when  he  faced  the  lad  he  suddenly  grasped  the  hilt 
of  his  weapon  in  both  hands  and  twirled  it  about 
until  it  made  a  glittering  circle.  The  crowd  set  up 
a  shout,  but  Paul  felt  chilled  through  and  through. 

"  I  have  no  quarrel  with  this  man,"  he  called  to 
Alvarez,  "  and  I  will  not  fight  him." 

1  You  have  no  choice,"  replied  Alvarez,  and  the 
more  savage  in  the  crowd,  who  wished  to  see  barbaric 
sport,  shouted  their  approval.  But  some  were  silent. 
Long  Jim  struggled  with  four  men,  and  exclaimed, 
"It's  murder!  He's  only  a  boy!"  But  the  four 
held  him  fast. 

The  swordsman,  grinning  in  the  certainty  of  easy 
triumph,  advanced  upon  Paul. 

Now  Paul  understood.  He  was  there  to  furnish 
sport,  terrible,  deadly  sport,  and  he  must  fight  if  he 
would  save  himself.  As  Alvarez  truly  said,  no  choice 
was  left  to  him.  If  he  sprang  for  the  barrier  they 

175 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

would  thrust  him  back,  and  that  was  not  a  thing  to 
be  endured. 

Francisco  Alvarez,  spurred  on  by  the  sting  of  his 
wound,  and  urged,  too,  by  Braxton  Wyatt,  who  was 
mad  for  the  deed  the  moment  he  heard  of  it,  had 
done  this  wicked  thing.  The  strain  of  cruelty  in  his 
nature,  inherited  perhaps,  from  far-off  ancestors  who 
had  looked  upon  pitiless  games  in  the  arena  in  the 
Roman  cities  in  Spain,  was  completely  in  control. 

"  It  is  better  than  I  thought,"  he  said  to  Braxton 
Wyatt.  "  The  ring  serves  the  purpose  well.  We 
shall  have  some  royal  sport  if  Kaintock  will  but 
fight." 

"  He  will  fight,"  said  Braxton  Wyatt 

The  swordsman  advanced  upon  Paul  and  thrust 
with  his  shining  blade.  Paul  felt  intuitively  that  he 
was  a  master  of  the  weapon,  reinforced,  too,  by 
enormous  strength.  He,  a  boy,  would  have  but 
little  chance.  Yet  he  parried  the  thrust  and  replied 
with  one  of  his  own  that  flashed  dangerously  near 
the  man's  side.  The  crowd  again  shouted  approval, 
but  as  before  some  were  silent.  Long  Jim  made 
another  effort  to  drag  himself  loose,  but  he  could  not. 
The  men  held  him.  Nevertheless,  he  repeated  his 
cry:  "  It's  murder!  He's  only  a  boy!  " 

The  rapid  interchange  of  thrust  and  parry  fol 
lowed,  and  the  swordsman  grew  angry.  He  was 
there  not  only  to  furnish  sport,  but  to  have  it  also 
for  himself.  He  did  not  like  to  be  held  back  by 
one  over  whom  he  had  thought  victory  so  easy. 
Suddenly  he  exerted  his-  full  strength  and  broke 


A  BARBARIC  ORDEAL 

through  Paul's  guard.  The  lad  felt  his  left  shoul 
der  and  arm  seared  as  if  by  a  great  flame,  and,  with 
a  cry  that  he  could  not  repress,  he  dropped  back. 

The  swordsman,  too,  stepped  back,  sure  now  of 
his  triumph.  The  shout  came  from  the  crowd  once 
more,  but  only  from  a  part  of  it,  and  brave,  faithful 
Long  Jim  closed  his  eyes  that  he  might  not  see  what 
would  follow. 

The  elated  swordsman  held  up  his  weapon  as  one 
would  a  banner.  It  was  a  broad  blade  like  a  cutlass 
and  it  glittered  in  the  brilliant  sunlight.  The  next 
moment  there  was  the  sound  of  a  shot,  the  man  ut 
tered  a  cry  of  pain,  although  himself  untouched,  and 
the  sword,  broken  in  several  pieces,  fell  to  the 
ground.  It  had  been  shot  from  his  hand  with  a 
rifle  bullet. 

Long  Jim,  opening  his  eyes,  uttered  a  cry  of  joy 
and  Henry  Ware,  smoking  rifle  in  hand,  pressed  his 
way  through  the  crowd,  which  he  had  entered  un 
noticed  in  the  excitement. 

Francisco  Alvarez  sprang  to  his  feet  in  anger. 
Not  for  some  moments  did  he  see  the  figure  of  the 
one  who  fired  the  shot,  and  even  then  he  did  not 
know  who  it  was.  But  Braxton  Wyatt  knew  Henry 
Ware  at  once,  and  he  was  resolved  that  he  should  not 
escape. 

"  Seize  him !  seize  him !  "  cried  the  renegade. 
14  He  is  the  most  dangerous  of  them  all !  " 

But  Henry  offered  no  resistance,  as  the  soldiers 
rushed  toward  him,  quietly  surrendering  his  rifle. 
Tom  Ross,  who  was  behind  him,  angrily  threw  back 

177 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

the  crowd  and  would  have  fought,  but  Henry  said: 
"  Give  up,  Tom,  it's  best  for  the  present." 

Henry's  eyes  were  upon  his  comrade  who  had 
been  subjected  to  such  treatment.  Paul  stood  erect, 
but  there  were  stains  on  his  shoulder,  and  he  was 
pale  and  weak. 

"  Look  to  him,"  said  Henry  threateningly  to 
Francisco  Alvarez  who  was  approaching.  "  It  is 
an  outrage  of  which  the  Governor  General  of  Louisi 
ana  shall  know." 

Alvarez  flushed.  He  felt  now  slight  prickings  of 
the  conscience  and  of  apprehension.  It  was  indeed 
a  wicked  deed  that  he  had  done,  but  he  had  no  mind 
to  be  bearded  by  another  from  Kaintock. 

"  He  will  receive  the  proper  attention,"  he  said, 
"  but  you  are  my  prisoner,  and  so  is  this  man  who 
has  just  been  taken  with  you.  I  tell  you,  too,  that 
I  am  in  supreme  command  here,  and  I  take  the  re 
sponsibility  for  all  my  acts." 

Braxton  Wyatt  had  crowded  near,  but  Henry  and 
Tom  refused  to  notice  him.  Luiz  went  into  the  ring 
and  led  Paul  away,  binding  up  his  shoulder  where 
the  flesh  was  cut,  although  the  hurt  was  not  serious. 

"  Take  their  arms  and  put  them  all  in  the  same 
prison,"  said  Alvarez  to  one  of  his  officers  and  the 
four  were  escorted  to  the  log  house  which  Paul  and 
Long  Jim  had  left  not  long  before. 

"  Our  plan  has  been  marked  by  some  success  after 
all,"  said  Alvarez  to  Braxton  Wyatt.  "  It  has 
drawn  two  more  into  our  hands." 

"  There  is  a  fifth,"  said  Braxton  Wyatt.  "  The 
178 


A  BARBARIC  ORDEAL 

one  they  call  Shif'less  Sol,  and  we  have  not  got  him. 
As  long  as  a  single  one  of  them  is  free  we  are  in 
danger." 

The  Spaniard  laughed. 

"  You  exaggerate  their  powers,"  he  said.  "  We 
have  nothing  to  fear  from  one  wandering  hunter." 

"  But  this  man,  Shif'less  Sol,  is  full  of  cunning," 
said  Braxton  Wyatt. 

The  Spaniard's  only  reply  was  to  hold  his  head  a 
little  higher.  It  was  his  plan  now  to  assume  his 
haughtiest  manner.  The  little  fear  that  he  had  done 
wrong,  that  his  act  in  forcing  Paul  into  the  ring 
against  a  professional  swordsman,  a  gladiator  as  it 
were,  was  mediaeval,  and  that  harm  might  come  to 
him  from  it,  clung  to  him.  But  pride  bade  him  never 
to  show  it. 

As  he  and  Braxton  Wyatt  went  into  the  Chateau 
of  Beaulieu,  the  doors  of  the  log  prison  closed  upon 
the  four  comrades.  Paul,  under  the  care  of  Luiz, 
reached  it  first  but  the  others  were  just  behind. 
Paul  sat  on  the  floor  and  leaned  against  the  wall. 
The  others  bent  tenderly  over  him.  But  Paul  looked 
up  at  them  and  smiled. 

"  It  isn't  much,"  he  said.  "  The  sword  only 
grazed  me.  My  clothing  saved  me  from  a  bad  cut. 
But  I  wish  you  boys,  whatever  happens,  would  re 
member  that  Spaniard,  Luiz.  He's  been  kind  to 


me." 


'  We'll  do  it,"  said  Henry.  '  I  don't  know  what 
will  come  of  all  this,  Paul,  but  I  feel  sure  that  we'll 
succeed." 

179 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  Of  course,"  said  Paul,  "  but  you  came  just  in 
time,  and  that  was  a  great  shot  of  yours." 

'*  We  were  in  the  woods,"  said  Henry,  "  and  we 
saw  the  crowd  gathering.  We  knew  some  mischief 
was  afoot,  and  they  were  so  eager  on  it  that  we  came 
up  unnoticed.  I  wanted  Tom  to  stay  back,  but  he 
was  afraid  he  would  be  needed." 

"And  Shif'less  Sol?"  said  Paul.  "  Where  is 
he?" 

Henry  laughed. 

"  The  shiftless  one  is  about  the  shiftiest  man  in 
the  wilderness,"  he  replied.  "  Do  you  suppose  that 
he  would  ever  walk  into  a  trap,  when  there  was  noth 
ing  inside  the  trap  worth  the  risk?  Didn't  he  know 
that  Tom  and  I  were  sufficient  for  any  task  that 
might  be  ahead  of  us  this  morning?  " 

Paul  laughed,  too,  and  the  others  were  glad  to 
see  the  color  coming  back  into  his  face. 

"  Good  old  Sol,"  he  said,  "  I'm  glad  he  didn't 
come  too.  Pie's  somewhere  out  there  in  the  woods, 
and  he's  the  one  link  between  us  and  Kentucky. 
We'll  be  sure  to  hear  from  him." 

They  talked  of  their  plans,  but  for  the  time,  they 
could  see  no  way.  Shif'less  Sol  might  go  on  alone 
to  New  Orleans,  but  it  needed  the  presence  of  the 
five  to  be  convincing. 

"  He  wouldn't  go  anyhow,"  said  Paul.  "  Sol 
would  never  leave  us  here." 

Luiz  brought  them  food  and  water  at  noon,  and 
then  they  were  left  again  to  themselves. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  SPANIARD'S  OFFER 

THE  afternoon  passed  without  incident  in  the 
log  prison  save  another  and  very  welcome 
visit   from   Luiz,   who  brought  water  and 
some  cloth  bandages  to  be  used  on  Paul's  shoulder. 
Henry  and  Long  Jim,  familiar  with  hurts,  dressed 
it    carefully    and    skillfully.     Paul's    healthy    blood 
would  quickly  do  the  rest. 

"  It  will  be  stiff  a  little  for  three  or  four  days/'  said 
Henry,  "  but  you'll  forget  in  a  week  that  you  ever 
had  it." 

Then  he  turned  to  Luiz. 

"  We'd  like  to  thank  you,"  he  said,  "  I  know  you 
don't  understand  our  words,  but  maybe  you  take  our 
meaning." 

Luiz  nodded  violently,  smiled  at  the  boy,  and  then 
held  out  his  hand  in  quite  an  American  fashion. 
His  face  expressed  not  only  understanding  but  grati 
tude  as  well.  Henry,  of  the  acute  eye  and  retentive 
mind,  took  a  second  look.  Then  he  remembered. 

"  The  man  whom  the  buffalo  was  about  to  gore 
and  run  over!"  he  exclaimed.  u  Well,  I  am  glad 
I  was  there  to  help  you,  and  it  seems  that  a  lucky 
chance  has  made  us  a  friend." 

181 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

He  took  the  proffered  hand  and  shook  it  heartily. 
When  Luiz  had  gone  he  explained  to  the  others. 

"  He  is  surely  a  friend,"  he  said,  u  and  we  have 
certainly  had  a  piece  of  good  fortune." 

But  Long  Jim  instantly  demurred. 

"  Henry,"  he  said,  "  you're  a  smart  fellow,  but 
you're  talkin'  real  foolish.  It  wuz  your  good  heart 
that  done  it.  Ef  it  hadn't  told  you  to  help  him 
when  that  mad  bull  wuz  about  to  run  over  him  an* 
gore  him  an'  trample  him  clean  out  uv  sight  in  the 
earth,  he  wouldn't  a-been  here  now,  grinnin'  at  you 
an'  with  the  gratitude  oozin'  out  uv  him  all  over." 

Just  before  the  sunset  the  door  was  opened  again 
and  Braxton  Wyatt  thrust  in  his  hateful  face.  Be 
hind  him  stood  four  Spanish  soldiers. 

"  I  hope  you  are  enjoying  yourselves,"  he  said 
with  irony. 

(  We'd  rather  be  here,  as  we  are,  than  be  in  your 
place,  having  done  what  you  have  done,"  exclaimed 
Paul  passionately. 

Wyatt  paled  a  little,  but  instantly  recovered  him 
self. 

"  A  bear  can  growl  a  lot  when  it's  in  a  trap  but 
growling  doesn't  help  it  out,"  he  said  airily. 

"  We  kin  do  more  than  growl.  We've  got  sharp 
teeth,  too,  ez  you  ought  to  know,"  said  Tom  Ross, 
the  man  of  few  words. 

"  I'll  admit  that  you  have  had  some  successes  in 
the  past,"  said  Wyatt,  smiling  maliciously,  "  but 
your  time  is  done.  We  are  the  victors,  and  you'll 
never  get  out  of  this." 

182 


THE  SPANIARD'S  OFFER 

The  four  as  if  by  common  consent  turned  their 
backs  upon  him  and  did  not  utter  another  word. 
The  renegade  understood  the  contempt  expressed  by 
those  four  silent  backs,  and  the  willful  flush  broke 
through  the  tan  of  his  face.  He  had  never  hated 
them  more  bitterly. 

"  Come  you,  Henry  Ware,"  he  said  roughly, 
"  Captain  Alvarez  wishes  to  ask  you  some  ques 


tions." 


"  I  wouldn't  go,  Henry,"  said  Long  Jim.  "  I 
wouldn't  hev  a  word  to  say  to  that  Spaniard  or  to 
this  white  Injun  either." 

"  He  will  go,  whether  willingly  or  unwillingly," 
said  Braxton  Wyatt.  "  I've  men  enough  here  to 
drag  him." 

"  I  will  go  willingly,  Jim,"  said  Henry  addressing 
himself  to  his  comrade  rather  than  to  the  renegade. 
"  It  cannot  do  any  harm,  and  it  may  help." 

"  Yes,  it  is  wiser,"  said  Paul. 

"So  long,  boys,"  said  Henry.  "I'll  be  back 
pretty  soon." 

He  stepped  out,  calmly  ignoring  the  existence  of 
Braxton  Wyatt,  and  placed  himself  in  the  center  of 
the  little  group  of  soldiers.  His  manner  indicated 
clearly  that  he  would  make  no  attempt  to  escape, 
and,  armed  though  the  four  soldiers  were,  and  un 
armed  though  their  captive  was,  they  breathed  four 
simultaneous  sighs  of  relief.  Henry  Ware,  boy 
though  he  was,  with  his  great  height  and  powerful 
shoulders,  chest,  and  limbs,  was  a  truly  formidable 
figure. 

183 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Braxton  Wyatt  turned  the  key  noisily  in  the  huge 
padlock  that  held  the  door. 

"  There,"  he  said,  "  I  think  we've  got  that  cattle 
securely  fastened  in  the  pen!  " 

Henry  knew  that  the  insulting  words  were  in 
tended  for  his  ear,  but  he  gave  no  sign  of  hearing 
them.  He  stood  expressionless,  awaiting  the  word 
to  the  soldiers  to  march.  Braxton  Wyatt  quickly 
gave  it.  He  was  angrier  than  ever,  because  he  could 
not  stir  Henry  Ware,  whom  he  hated  most  of  all, 
to  open  anger. 

The  march  led  straight  to  the  Chauteau  of  Beau- 
lieu,  across  well-trimmed  sward,  and  Henry's  alert 
eye  took  in  everything,  the  pretentious  house,  so  un 
like  anything  erected  by  his  own  people  in  Kentucky, 
the  low  outbuildings,  and  the  occasional  gleam  of  a 
uniform. 

But  Henry  did  not  observe  at  this  moment  with 
any  eye  to  the  escape  of  himself  and  his  comrades. 
His  condition  of  mind  was  spiritual  and  he  felt  a 
satisfaction  for  which  he  could  not  have  accounted 
if  he  had  tried.  He  felt  sure  that  his  friends  and 
he  would  escape.  He  did  not  doubt  it  even  now, 
when  only  one  of  the  five  was  tree  in  the  woods  out 
there.  The  spring  sun  was  setting  in  great  clouds 
of  red  and  gold  fire,  a  pleasant  coolness  was  coming 
over  the  heated  landscape,  and  every  building,  fence, 
and  tree  was  touched  by  a  soft  but  vivid  light. 

Braxton  led  the  way  into  the  house  and  into  a 
great  room,  where  Francisco  Alvarez  sat  in  a  high 
chair,  keeping  state  like  a  feudal  lord.  He  waved 

184 


THE  SPANIARD'S  OFFER 

his  hand  and  the  soldiers  withdrew.  Then  he  said 
to  Braxton  Wyatt: 

"  I  wish  to  speak  alone,  absolutely  alone,  to  Serior 
Ware,  and  I  must  ask  you  to  leave  us  for  a  little 
while." 

Braxton  turned  on  his  heel,  his  anger  but  half 
concealed,  and  the  Spaniard  smiled  to  himself. 
Francisco  Alvarez  was  a  wily  man,  a  reader  of  the 
minds  of  others,  and  he  did  not  object  to  the  present 
displeasure  of  Wyatt. 

But  he  said  nothing  until  the  renegade  was  gone. 
Henry,  meanwhile,  had  quietly  taken  his  seat  in  a 
cane  chair.  He  was  not  of  any  mind  to  stand  in  the 
presence  of  this  man  who  bore  himself  as  if  he  were 
master  of  everything  by  right  divine. 

Francisco  Alvarez  observed  the  act  and  under 
stood  its  meaning.  He  smiled  again  to  himself. 
He  had  not  misjudged  the  youth,  and  it  confirmed 
him  in  the  plan  that  had  come  suddenly  into  his  cun 
ning  mind. 

"  Senor  Ware,"  he  said,  veiling  his  voice  and 
speaking  with  a  velvety  courtesy  that  was  unusual 
in  him,  "  I  have  brought  you  here  to  tell  you  first  that 
I  repent  my  act  to-day,  by  which  I  placed  your  com 
rade's  life  in  seeming  danger.  I  was  hasty,  but  I 
had  been  goaded  greatly,  and  it  may  be,  too,  that 
I  was  influenced  by  the  sinister  advice  of  one  who 
hates  you  and  your  friends  in  a  manner  almost  be 
yond  belief.  Besides,  the  swordsman  had  orders 
not  to  slay." 

Henry   Ware   looked    at   him    in   great   surprise. 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Five  minutes  ago  he  would  not  have  dreamed  it 
possible  that  he  could  hear  such  a  speech  in  such  a 
tone  from  Francisco  Alvarez.  He  waited  to  see  what 
it  meant.  Alvarez  regarded  him  in  a  sort  of  kindly 
contemplation,  as  a  man  would  look  upon  a  youth  for 
whom  he  had  benevolent  plans. 

"  We  have  been  enemies  so  far,"  he  resumed  in 
his  winning  tone,  u  you  and  your  comrades  against 
myself  and  my  people.  But  I  have  learned  one 
thing,  and  I  am  confirmed  in  it  by  the  opinion  of 
others;  boy  as  you  are,  you  are  the  strongest  and 
most  dangerous  of  the  five  who  oppose  me;  you  are 
the  leader." 

The  words,  although  true,  were  those  of  compli 
ment  and  flattery,  and  Henry  felt  the  touch  of  poison 
in  the  silky  tone.  He  stiffened  himself  slightly  as  if 
he  would  resist  a  danger,  unknown  as  yet,  but  all 
the  more  to  be  dreaded  on  that  account.  He  still 
remained  silent. 

"  Yes,  you  are  the  strongest  and  the  one  most  to 
be  feared,"  continued  Alvarez  musingly,  u  I  am  not 
saying  it  to  flatter  you,  but  because  it  is  a  matter 
that  I  have  weighed  well  for  reasons  pertaining  to 
statecraft.  There  sentiment  or  personal  liking  can 
not  count.  I  have  plans,  large  plans,  in  regard  to 
this  country.  I  suppose  that  every  ambitious  man 
who  comes  here  has  them.  How  can  he  help  it  when 
he  sees  so  vast  and  fertile  a  land  inhabited  only 
by  savages?  My  plan,  I  believe,  is  right,  in  ac 
cordance  with  probability  and  justice.  You,  Senor 
Ware,  are  a  representative  of  a  race  that  has  crossed 

186 


THE  SPANIARD'S  OFFER 

the  mountains  into  a  new  region.  You  have  there, 
in  Kaintock,  thin  and  feeble  settlements  that  must 
soon  be  crushed." 

Henry  spoke  for  the  first  time,  but  he  showed  no 
excitement,  although  his  heart  had  begun  to  beat 
faster. 

"  I  think  you  are  wrong,  Captain  Alvarez,"  he 
said.  "  The  settlements  in  Kentucky  have  already 
driven  back  some  formidable  forays,  and  they  grow 
stronger  every  day." 

"  Forays  of  savages  only.  What  could  they  do 
if  a  force  of  white  men,  a  powerful  force,  armed  with 
cannon  came?  " 

"  But  will  they  come?"  asked  Henry  pointedly. 

"  Ah,  I  see  you  are  clever,"  said  Alvarez,  still 
smiling.  "  You  and  the  other  youth,  Cotter,  are 
educated,  and  you  must  realize  the  truth  of  what 
I  say.  Yes,  that  force  will  come.  Your  Eastern 
colonies  are  about  to  be  defeated  by  the  King  of 
England.  You  are  rebels,  and  there  is  no  place  for 
defeated  rebels  but  the  depths  of  the  wilderness. 
Spain  has  been  coquetting  with  these  colonies,  but 
she  will  come  back  to  the  side  of  the  English  mon 
archy  where  she  belongs.  The  monarchies  must 
stand  together  against  all  rebels." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  Spain  will  help  England 
to  fight  us?"  asked  Henry. 

Alvarez  smiled  once  more,  but  the  smile  now,  in 
stead  of  being  merely  winning,  was  superior. 

"  It  is  a  long  distance  from  here  to  Europe,"  he 
replied,  "  but  news  may  come  even  into  the  depths 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

of  the  woods.  I  have  many  friends  in  Spain,  friends 
near  the  court,  who  inform  me  whenever  the  wind 
changes." 

Henry  did  not  like  that  superior  smile.  It  was 
a  mistake  of  Francisco  Alvarez,  a  mistake  that  many 
strong  men  make,  to  assume  a  patronizing  manner 
even  for  a  moment  in  the  presence  of  another  who 
was  also  strong.  Henry's  intuition  at  once  put  him 
on  guard  at  all  points. 

"  I  have  heard,"  he  said,  "  that  Bernardo  Galvez, 
the  Spanish  Governor  General  at  New  Orleans,  is  no 
friend  of  the  British  power.  But  why  do  you  dis 
cuss  these  things  with  me  or  tell  me  of  them?  " 

"  It  is  because  I  have  considered  you  and  recog 
nize  your  worth,"  replied  Alvarez  slowly.  "  Why 
rush  on  to  destruction  with  the  foolish  rebels?  No, 
do  not  speak !  Pay  good  heed  to  what  I  say.  There 
is  more  passing  on  this  continent  than  you  think. 
Great  events  are  about  to  occur.  I  do  not  speak 
merely  of  the  war  between  the  rebels  —  or,  if  you 
prefer  it,  the  Americans  —  and  the  English,  but 
of  another  change. 

"  Spain  is  seated  at  New  Orleans  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi,  which  flows  through  a  larger  area 
of  fertile  and  temperate  country  than  any  other  river 
in  the  world.  The  waters  of  hundreds  of  navigable 
streams  converge  there,  and  it  must  become  the  rival 
of  London  and  Paris.  What  can  Quebec,  Boston, 
New  York,  or  Charleston  be  to  New  Orleans? 
Can  Spain  give  up  such  a  site  and  such  a  vast  and 
fertile  territory  as  Louisiana?  Never!  And  here 

188 


THE  SPANIARD'S  OFFER 

is  the  greatest  opportunity  in  the  world  for  strong 
men!  Come  with  me!  Bring  your  friends  with 
you!  We  need  such  as  you!  I  offer  you  a  career 
that  could  not  even  enter  your  dreams  in  the  woods 
of  Kaintock!" 

A  deep,  red  flush  overspread  Henry's  face. 

"  Do  you  think  that  we  could  fight  against  our 
own  people,"  he  exclaimed.  "  Do  you  think  that 
we  are  made  of  such  stuff  as  that  miserable  renegade, 
Braxton  Wyatt?" 

Alvarez  did  not  flinch.  His  words  had  been  de 
livered  with  extraordinary  emphasis,  and  they  carried 
the  ring  of  his  own  conviction.  His  great  plan  pos 
sessed  him,  and  he  saw  before  him  an  instrument  of 
which  he  could  make  good  use. 

"  I  do  not  ask  you  to  go  against  your  own  peo 
ple,"  he  replied.  "  Remain  in  Louisiana.  Great 
work  can  be  found  here  for  you  and  your  friends. 
And  where  Kaintock  is  concerned  another  way  could 
be  made.  It  is  far  from  the  Eastern  colonies,  di 
vided  by  mountains,  the  forest,  and  Indians.  Where 
could  they  find  a  better  friend  to  whom  to  turn  than 
the  King  of  Spain?  And  they  will  surely  need  a 
powerful  friend !  " 

Henry  gazed  at  him  in  amazement,  and  yet  he 
felt  a  certain  respect  for  the  scope  and  largeness  of 
the  man's  plan,  repellent  though  the  plan  was  to 
him.  He  saw  that  Alvarez  was  not  an  ordinary 
man,  that  he  was  one  with  whom  the  people  for 
whom  he  cared  would  have  to  reckon.  But  he  was 
not  afraid,  nor  was  he  tempted  for  a  moment  by  the 

189 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

promise  of  a  glittering  future  that  Alvarez  held  out 
to  him.  He  felt  an  immense  indignation,  but  he  was 
still  master  of  himself,  and  he  replied  quietly. 

"  I  could  not  leave  my  own  people,  nor  would 
any  of  my  comrades.  The  air  of  Louisiana  does 
not  suit  us.  We  are  accustomed  to  a  colder  climate. 
We  feel,  too,  that  Kaintock  can  take  care  of  her 
self.  Nor  is  it  sure  that  the  Eastern  colonies  will 
be  crushed  by  the  King.  But,  should  they  be,  Ken 
tucky  would  never  desert  them  to  join  Spain." 

Alvarez  frowned,  and  his  temper  began  to  rise. 
Henry  was  showing  more  finesse  and  more  knowledge 
of  the  world  and  its  events  than  he  had  thought  pos 
sible  in  one  just  come  out  of  the  woods. 

"  By  entering  my  service,  by  becoming  a  lieutenant 
of  mine,  you  have  all  to  gain  and  nothing  to  lose," 
he  said,  resuming  his  customary  tone  of  superiority. 

Henry  instantly  felt  the  change  of  manner  and 
resented  it. 

"  I  could  not  dream  of  accepting  such  an  offer," 
he  said,  "  but,  if  I  should,  I'd  merely  take  the  place 
that  youVe  already  given  to  Braxton  Wyatt,  a  rene 
gade.  He  thinks  it  is  his,  and  you  have  made  him 
think  it  is  his.  If  you  do  not  keep  faith  with  him 
how  could  I  believe  that  you  would  keep  faith  with 
me?" 

The  dark  blood  of  anger  flushed  the  Spaniard's 
face.  He  half  rose  from  his  seat  and  then  sat  down 
again. 

"  I  have  made  you  an  offer,"  he  said,  "  one  that 
any  youth  or  young  man  should  be  proud  to  accept, 

190 


THE  SPANIARD'S  OFFER 

and  you  insult  me  by  saying  that  you  doubt  my  faith. 
You  are  a  child,  a  backwoodsman,  and  an  ignorant 
fellow!" 

"  I  am  not  ignorant  about  some  things  of  im 
portance,"  replied  Henry  calmly,  "  but,  if  I  were  low 
enough  to  be  tempted  by  your  offer,  I  should  still 
be  wise  enough  to  know  that  a  man  who  plots  against 
his  own  superior  officer  could  not  be  trusted  by  me." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Alvarez,  paling 
for  a  moment. 

"  Is  it  not  true  that  by  fair  or  foul  means  you 
expect  shortly  to  succeed  Bernardo  Galvez  as  Gov 
ernor  General  of  Louisiana?" 

The  Spaniard's  hand  flew  to  his  sword  hilt.  Such 
things  as  these  were  not  to  be  known  by  everybody. 
But  Henry  met  his  gaze  steadily,  and  the  hand  fell 
away  from  the  sword-hilt.  He  had  gone  too  far 
already.  He  was  sorry  that  he  had  turned  the 
professional  swordsman  loose  on  Paul  —  it  had  been 
an  unwise  deed  —  and  another  act  of  violence  in 
a  single  day  was  unworthy  a  man  of  his  self-control. 
No,  a  new  and  better  plan  came  suddenly  into  his 
mind. 

The  two  sat  for  a  few  moments  gazing  steadily  at 
each  other.  Alvarez  was  in  the  higher  chair,  and 
that  gave  him  the  physical  advantage,  but  the  look 
of  the  fearless  youth  was  like  the  sharp  sword  that 
cuts  scornfully  through  the  maze  and  web  of  in 
trigue  and  trickery.  Alvarez  was  forced  to  turn 
his  gaze  aside,  and  his  soul  was  full  of  tumult  and 
anger  because  he  had  to  yield.  The  new  plan  thai1 

191 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

he  had  conceived  in  regard  to  this  daring  boy  now 
seemed  a  peculiarly  happy  thought.  Henry's  pride 
and  spirit  must  be  broken,  and  he,  Francisco  Alvarez, 
was  the  man  for  the  task. 

He  clapped  his  hands  and  a  soldier  entered.  He 
sent  a  message  by  him  and  several  more  came,  ac 
companied  by  Braxton  Wyatt.  Alvarez  motioned 
Wyatt  to  a  seat. 

"  Senor  Wyatt,"  he  said  in  his  slow,  precise 
English,  "  I  have  been  having  a  talk  with  your 
friend,  your  former  friend  here,  and  I  find  him  to 
be  as  unworthy  as  you  have  described  him  to  be. 
I  offered  only  kindness  to  himself  and  his  friends. 
I  chose  to  believe  that  they  had  been  merely  foolish, 
misled  by  ignorance,  but  his  reply  has  been  only  to 
insult  me  and  to  blacken  you." 

The  renegade  did  not  seek  to  conceal  the  joy  that 
shone  in  his  eyes.  He  had  been  in  fear  when  he 
was  sent  out  of  the  hall,  in  fear  lest  Alvarez  had 
some  plan  by  which  he  would  suffer,  and  now  it  was 
obvious  that  nothing  had  been  changed. 

"  It  is  his  character,"  said  Wyatt.  "  He  is  vicious 
and  the  truth  has  never  been  in  him." 

Henry  did  not  know  what  all  this  tallt  meant, 
but  he  refused  to  notice  Braxton  Wyatt.  His  man 
ner  indicated  that  the  renegade  had  ceased  to  exist, 
and  it  made  Wyatt  furious. 

"  You  tell  the  truth,"  continued  Alvarez,  "  but 
he  is  dangerous,  too,  as  you  told  me,  a  strong,  wily 
fellow,  and  I  shall  not  take  any  chances  on  his  escape. 
See,  I  am  providing  against  it." 

192 


THE  SPANIARD'S  OFFER 

A  soldier  entered,  bearing  balls  and  chain,  and 
Alvarez  pointed  to  Henry.  The  youth  sprang  to 
his  feet.  He  knew  that  this  was  intended  as  an  in 
dignity,  and  his  mind  rebelled. 

"  Put  them  on  him,"  said  Alvarez,  and  the  soldiers 
approached.  Henry  hurled  the  first  back  and  then 
the  second,  but  the  others  were  about  to  fling  them 
selves  upon  him  in  a  heap,  when  a  voice  from  the 
door  cried: 

"Stop!" 

It  was  not  a  loud  voice,  but  one  full  of  dignity  and 
command,  and  the  soldiers  instantly  fell  back. 

A  tall  man,  robed  in  black,  and  with  a  thin  face, 
smoothly  shaven  and  austere,  stood  in  the  doorway. 
The  eyes,  usually  benevolent  and  kindly,  sparkled 
with  indignation,  and  one  hand  was  uplifted  in  re 
buke. 

"Father  Montigny!"  said  Henry,  under  his 
breath. 

"Who  says  'stop!'  here,  where  I  command?" 
Alvarez  exclaimed,  and  then  he  paled  at  sight  of 
the  priest.  The  Spaniard  was  a  bold  man,  but  he 
wished  no  conflict  with  Holy  Church. 

"  I  said  '  stop,'  "  replied  the  priest  with  calm  dig 
nity,  advancing  into  the  room.  "  Francisco  Alvarez, 
you  were  about  to  perform  a  deed  unworthy  of  your 
self,  one  that  you  would  have  cause  to  regret.  There 
is  no  war  between  Louisiana  and  Kaintock.  What 
right  have  you  to  put  this  youth  in  chains?  " 

He  took  a  step  further,  and  the  rebuking  hand 
was  still  uplifted.  The  soldiers  shrank  back  and 

193 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

more  than  one  crossed  himself.  Yet  they  were  re 
lieved,  as  Father  Montigny  had  interfered  with  a 
task  that  they  did  not  like. 

"  I  have  the  utmost  respect  for  Holy  Church," 
replied  Alvarez,  though  it  cost  him  an  effort  to 
utter  the  words,  "  but  I  am  in  command  here  and 
all  military  affairs  fall  under  my  jurisdiction.  This 
young  man  is  a  dangerous  spy  and  plotter  from 
Kaintock,  one  who  has  used  force  against  us.  He 
and  his  comrades  seized  one  of  our  boats  and  that 
was  an  act  of  war." 

"  He  is  a  good  youth,"  said  Father  Montigny. 
"  He  and  his  comrades  did  me  a  great  service.  I 
know  that  his  motives  are  good,  and  I  will  not  see 
him  treated  in  such  barbarous  fashion." 

The  face  of  Alvarez  darkened.  This  was  more 
than  he  could  stand. 

"  I  am  the  judge  in  these  matters,"  he  replied, 
"  and  I  tell  you,  Father  Montigny,  that  you  must  not 
interfere.  Your  order,  the  Capuchins,  are  in  power 
now  at  New  Orleans,  as  I  know,  but  the  Jesuits  may 
come  back.  I  should  favor  their  returning." 

"  It  is  not  a  question  of  Capuchin  or  Jesuit,"  re 
plied  Father  Montigny  sternly,  "  and  you,  Francisco 
Alvarez,  should  know  it.  It  is  a  question  of  you 
and  what  you  are  doing  here.  You  need  not  make 
any  threats  against  me,  I  care  for  none  of  them,  but 
Bernardo  Galvez,  the  Governor  General  at  New 
Orleans,  shall  know  of  what  is  passing  at  Beaulieu." 

The  face  of  Alvarez  contracted  into  a  terrible 
frown.  Nevertheless  he  feared  the  unarmed  priest. 

194 


THE  SPANIARD'S  OFFER 

He  was  helpless  against  him  and  he  feared,  too, 
that  if  he  persisted  Father  Montigny  would  quickly 
learn  of  other  and  deeper  matters.  He  broke  into 
a  short  and  by  no  means  hearty  laugh. 

"  Perhaps  I  was  going  rather  far,"  he  said,  "  but 
this  youth  has  provoked  me  beyond  endurance. 
Take  away  those  things,  Caspar." 

The  Spaniard  whom  he  indicated  took  the  irons, 
and  Henry  sat  down  again  in  his  chair.  The 
threatened  ignominy  had  stung  him  deeply  and  he 
said  under  his  breath:  "I  thank  you,  Father 
Montigny."  Then  Alvarez  ordered  Henry  to  be 
taken  away,  also. 

Henry  arose  without  resistance,  and  walked  from 
the  hall  with  the  soldiers.  As  he  passed,  Father 
Montigny  put  his  hand  on  his  shoulder  and  said: 
"  I  am  your  friend,  my  son." 

Henry  said  nothing  but  gave  him  a  look  of  deep 
gratitude  as  he  walked  proudly  out. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE    SHADOW    IN   THE    FOREST 

LUIZ  and  his  comrades  escorted  Henry  back 
to  the  prison,  and  the  expressive  face  of 
Luiz  showed  pleasure.  He  made  a  vigor 
ous  pantomime  and  spoke  words  in  Spanish. 

'  Yes,  I  understand  your  meaning  if  not  your 
language,  my  friend,"  said  Henry,  "  and  I  thank 
you.  I  am  glad  to  know  that  I  have  your  good 
will." 

When  the  door  of  his  prison  was  thrown  open  and 
Henry  was  then  shut  in  again  with  his  comrades 
they  looked  at  him  expectantly. 

"Well?"  said  Paul. 

;' What  happened?"  said  Long  Jim. 

"  Anything  to  tell?  "  said  Tom  Ross. 

"  How's  your  shoulder,  Paul?  "  asked  Henry. 

"  Fast  getting  well,"  replied  Paul,  who  knew  that 
his  comrade  would  speak  in  his  own  good  time. 

Henry  sat  on  the  floor  and  leaned  against  the 
wall  in  as  comfortable  a  position  as  he  could  assume. 
Then  he  looked  rather  humorously  at  his  comrades. 

"  Alvarez  wanted  to  bribe  me,"  he  said. 

"  To  bribe  you?     What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  Yes,  to  bribe  me  —  and  all  of  us  together.  He 
196 


THE  SHADOW  IN  THE  FOREST 

wanted  us  to  serve  him  here  in  Louisiana,  and  help 
him  in  an  attempt  to  bring  over  Kentucky  to  Spain." 

"  That  is,  he  wanted  to  make  Braxton  Wyatts  out 
of  us?"  said  Paul. 

"  You  put  it  exactly  right,  Paul,"  said  Henry. 
"  I  laughed  at  him,  and  called  him  by  the  names  that 
belonged  to  him.  He  brought  in  Braxton  Wyatt  and 
the  soldiers  and  ordered  me  to  be  put  in  irons,  there 
in  his  presence." 

"What!"  exclaimed  Paul,  "  did  he  dare  that, 
too?" 

4  Yes.  His  object,  of  course,  was  to  humiliate 
me  —  and  all  of  us.  It  was  stopped  by  one  who 
came  in  at  the  right  moment.  You  couldn't  guess 
who  it  was." 

"  It  must  a-been  Shif  less  Sol,"  said  Long  Jim, 
whose  mind  ran  to  physical  deeds.  "  I  guess  he 
sent  a  bullet  right  into  the  middle  uv  that  rascal 
crew.  Sol's  the  boy  to  be  right  on  the  spot  when  he's 
needed." 

Henry  laughed. 

"No,  Jim,"  he  said.  "That's  a  pretty  wild 
guess.  It  was  none  other  than  Father  Montigny, 
the  man  whom  we  helped.  He  paid  us  back  sooner 
than  we  thought.  You  ought  to  have  seen  him, 
Paul.  He  looked  like  an  avenging  angel.  He 
stood  there,  a  single,  unarmed  man,  and  they  were 
afraid  of  him.  I  could  see  fear  on  every  one  of 
their  faces." 

Paul's  vivid  imagination  instantly  painted  the 
whole  scene.  It  appealed  to  him  with  tremendous 

197 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

power.     It  was  the  triumph  of  mind  and  character 
over  force  and  wickedness. 

"  I  can  see  Father  Montigny  now,"  he  said.  "  A 
man  who  always  does  right  and  has  no  fear  what 
ever  of  death,  is  afraid  of  nothing,  either  in  this 
world  or  the  world  to  come." 

;<  Which  gives  him  a  pow'ful  sight  uv  freedom," 
said  Long  Jim. 

"  When  he  told  them  to  stop  they  took  away  their 
balls  and  chain,"  said  Henry,  "  and  sent  me  back 
here.  Alvarez  realized  that  he  had  gone  too  far, 
but  I  think  that  he  fears  Father  Montigny  for  other 
reasons,  too.  The  priest  may  put  the  Governor 
General  on  his  guard." 

"  So  we  ain't  alone,"  said  Long  Jim  musingly. 
"  Curious  how  you  git  help  when  you  ain't  expectin' 
it.  The  wicked  hev  it  their  way  fur  a  while,  an' 
then  they  don't.  They  don't  ever  seem  able  to 
finish  up  their  work.  Sometimes  I  think  the  right 
is  jest  like  a  river  flowin'  on  in  its  nateral  channel, 
an'  boun'  to  git  to  the  sea  after  a  while,  no  matter 
what  happens.  The  wrong  is  all  them  dams,  an' 
san'  bars  an'  snags,  and  brush  an'  drift-wood  that 
people  an'  chance  pile  up  in  the  way.  They  do 
choke  up  the  waters,  an'  send  'em  around  in  other 
channels,  an'  make  a  heap  uv  trouble,  but  by  and 
by  them  waters  git  to  the  sea  jest  the  same." 

"  I  hope  so,  Jim,"  said  Paul. 

"  Now  thar  ain't  no  doubt  uv  what  I  say,"  said 
Long  Jim.  *  Take  this  case  uv  ourn.  Jest  when 
we  need  it  most  fur  a  thousand  miles  uv  river  travel 

198 


THE  SHADOW  IN  THE  FOREST 

we  git  a  bee-yu-ti-ful  boat,  all  fitted  up  with  every 
thing  we  want.  Jest  when  that  Spaniard  gits  his 
paws  on  us,  he  don't  git  his  paws  on  one  uv  us,  an' 
that's  Shif'less  Sol  out  thar  in  the  woods.  An'  so 
long  ez  Shif'less  Sol  is  free  out  thar  in  the  woods 
we're  mighty  nigh  free  ourselves.  Then,  when  this 
same  Spaniard  is  ready  to  load  irons  on  Henry  in  a 
way  that  no  free-born  man  kin  stand,  in  pops  a 
priest  who  likes  us  —  an'  we  don't  belong  to  his 
church  either  —  an'  puts  a  stop  to  the  whole  thing." 

While  they  were  talking  Francisco  Alvarez  also 
was  busy  with  a  kindred  theme,  as  he  entertained 
a  guest.  That  guest  was  Father  Montigny,  to  whom 
he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  be  courteous,  although 
he  would  not  condescend  to  any  further  apology. 
He  ordered  that  the  priest  should  receive  food  and 
attention,  and  that  men  should  look  after  and  re 
plenish  his  canoe  which  was  now  tied  in  the  bayou. 
After  all  these  orders  were  given,  Alvarez  sat  in 
the  great  room  of  Beaulieu  and  smoked  the  cigarro 
of  his  time. 

There  was  a  bitter  drop  in  the  well  of  his  satis 
faction.  The  coming  of  the  priest  had  been  unfore 
seen  and  unfortunate.  He  knew  Father  Montigny, 
and  Father  Montigny  knew  him.  Now  how  much 
did  Father  Montigny  know  of  his  plans?  That  was 
the  important  question. 

While  he  was  yet  speaking,  Father  Montigny, 
whom  a  very  little  of  rest  and  food  always  sufficed, 
entered  the  room,  his  manner  full  of  austerity. 
Francisco  Alvarez  rose,  all  blandness  and  courtesy. 

199 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  Be  seated,  Father,"  he  said.  "  It  is  a  poor 
place  that  we  have  here,  but  we  give  you  of  our  best. 
Who  would  deserve  it  more  than  you,  a  man  of  such 
long  travels  and  such  great  hardships  in  the  holiest 
of  all  causes?  " 

The  face  of  the  priest  did  not  relax.  He  sat 
down  upon  one  of  the  cane  chairs  and  gazed  sternly 
at  Alvarez.  Truly,  it  is  a  terrible  thing  to  meet  the 
accusing  gaze  of  a  man  who  fears  neither  torture, 
nor  death,  nor  the  world  to  come!  The  accusa 
tion  is  likely  to  be  true.  Alvarez  looked  away. 
Twice  within  one  day  he  who,  with  reason,  thought 
himself  so  courageous  had  been  forced  to  yield  to 
the  gaze  of  another,  and  his  heart  was  full  of  angry 
rebellion.  But  he  knew  that  knowledge  and  power 
dwelt  under  the  simple  black  robe  of  this  man. 

"  It  seems,"  said  Father  Montigny,  and  there  was 
a  slight  touch  of  irony  in  his  tone,  "  that  I  came  at 
the  right  moment." 

Francisco  Alvarez  compelled  his  face  to  smile, 
though  his  heart  was  raging. 

"  I  have  already  apologized,  Father  Montigny," 
he  said,  "  for  what  I  was  about  to  do.  And  yet  the 
phrase  *  about  to  do  '  is  wrong.  Even  if  you  had 
not  come  I  should  have  repented  of  myself,  and  sent 
away  the  irons.  I  can  repeat,  too,  in  my  defense 
that  I  was  provoked  beyond  endurance  by  this 
youth's  insolence." 

His  tone  was  silky,  light,  indolent,  as  if  he  would 
dismiss  a  trifle  about  which  too  much  had  been  said 
already.  It  might  have  been  convincing  to  any  other 

200 


THE  SHADOW  IN  THE  FOREST 

man,  but  he  felt  the  stern,  reproving  gaze  of  Father 
Montigny  still  fixed  upon  him. 

"  And  what  of  the  ring  and  the  professional 
swordsman?"  said  the  priest.  "  Are  you  to  turn  a 
youth  to  a  gladiator,  even  as  the  blessed  martyrs 
were  given  to  the  lions  and  tigers  by  the  Roman  pa 
gans !  What  of  that,  Francisco  Alvarez?  Are  such 
deeds  to  be  done,  here,  in  our  day,  in  Louisiana,  and 
to  pass  unchallenged?  " 

The  priest's  voice  rose  and  it  cut  like  the  sharp 
edge  of  a  knife.  Never  since  his  boyhood  had  Fran 
cisco  Alvarez  flushed  more  deeply,  and  he  moved  un 
easily  on  his  cane  chair. 

"  You  give  it  a  name  that  does  not  belong  to  it," 
he  said.  ;<  It  was  play,  or  not  much  more.  Ro- 
mildo,  the  swordsman,  had  orders  not  to  hurt  him 
much." 

*  That  may  or  may  not  be  true,  Francisco  Alva 
rez,"  said  the  priest,  speaking  slowly  and  precisely. 
"  But  I  have  more  to  ask  you.  What  of  this  plot  of 
yours  to  set  the  Indian  tribes  and  a  Spanish  force 
with  cannon  upon  Kaintock?  What  of  your  plan  to 
become  Governor  General  in  place  of  Galvez? 
What  of  your  intention  to  make  distant  war  upon 
the  rebel  colonies  and  therefore  commit  Spain  to  an 
alliance  with  England?  Answer  me,  Francisco  Alva 
rez.  What  of  these  things?  " 

The  priest  rose  from  his  seat,  as  he  spoke,  and 
lifted  that  stern,  accusing  finger.  Alvarez  was  as 
still  as  if  struck  by  lightning.  His  great  plan  known 
to  this  man,  this  man  who  feared  not  even  torture, 

201 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

or  death,  or  the  world  to  come !  He  shrank  visibly 
both  mentally  and  physically,  but  then  his  courage 
pame  back  under  the  spur  of  dreadful  necessity. 

"  A  priest  can  take  great  liberties,"  he  said. 
<)l  Sometimes  I  think  it  scarcely  fair  that  you  of  the 
Book  may  denounce  us  of  the  sword  and  that  we  may 
say  nothing  in  return,  although  we  may  be  right  and 
you  may  be  wrong.  It  is  sufficient  now  for  me  to  tell 
you  that  I  do  not  know  what  you  are  talking  about. 
I,  the  Governor  General  1  Any  man  may  dream  of 
that !  I  have  done  so,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  many 
others  have  done  the  same.  I  favor,  too,  an  alliance 
with  England,  as  do  nearly  all  the  Spanish  officers 
in  Louisiana,  but  I  am  a  faithful  servant  of  His 
Majesty,  the  King,  and  though  I  may  hold  my  opin 
ions,  I  know  of  no  plot,  either  against  Bernardo  Gal- 
vez  or  to  make  a  war  upon  Kaintock." 

"  I  have  heard  you,  Francisco  Alvarez,"  said  the 
priest,  u  but  it  is  for  your  actions  to  prove  the  truth 
of  your  words.  See  to  it,  also,  that  there  is  no  fur 
ther  cruelty  practised  against  these  men  from  Kain 
tock." 

"  They  are  my  prisoners,"  replied  Alvarez,  "  and 
I  mean  to  hold  them.  There  you  cannot  interfere, 
Father  Mcntigny.  They  were  taken  in  arms  against 
us  upon  our  soil  of  Louisiana,  and  that  they  are  my 
prisoners  even  you  cannot  dispute." 

"  No,"  replied  Father  Montigny.  "  I  do  not  dis 
pute  it;  at  least  not  for  the  present.  But  if  they  are 
held  as  prisoners  they  should  be  sent  to  Bernardo 
Galvez  at  New  Orleans,  and  not  be  retained  here." 

202 


THE  SHADOW  IN  THE  FOREST 

He  walked  out  without  waiting  for  an  answer, 
and  Francisco  Alvarez  was  glad  to  see  him  go.  Five 
minutes  later  the  Spaniard  sent  for  Braxton  Wyatt 
and  the  two  remained  long  in  consultation. 

Meanwhile,  something  was  stirring  in  the  for 
est  not  far  from  Beaulieu.  It  was  a  forest  of  magno 
lia,  willow,  and  cypress,  and  of  oaks,  from  which 
hung  great  solemn  festoons  of  moss.  A  deep  still 
bayou  cut  across  it,  and  here  and  there  were  pools  of 
stagnant  water,  in  which  coiling  black  forms  swam. 

Night  was  deepening  over  the  wilderness  upon 
which  the  estate  of  Beaulieu  had  made  only  a  scratch. 
Pale  moonlight  fell  over  the  drooping  green  forest 
and  across  the  deep  waters  of  the  bayou.  The 
something  that  had  stirred  resolved  itself  into  the 
shadowy  figure  of  a  man  who  came  out  of  the  heart 
of  the  forest  toward  its  edge.  He  walked  with  a 
singularly  agile  step.  His  moccasined  feet  made  no 
noise  when  they  touched  the  ground  and  the  bushes 
seemed  to  part  for  the  passage  of  his  body. 

When  the  man  reached  the  edge  of  the  forest  next 
to  the  Chateau  of  Beaulieu,  he  paused  for  a  long  time, 
standing  in  the  shadow  of  the  trees.  Always  he 
looked  fixedly  at  a  single  building,  the  log  hut,  in 
which  Alvarez  held  his  four  prisoners  from  Kain- 
tock.  While  he  stood  there,  stray  rays  of  moon 
light  coming  through  the  cypresses  fell  upon  him, 
revealing  a  tanned  face,  yellow  hair,  and  a  tall,  ath 
letic  form.  He  did  not  look  like  a  Spaniard  or  an 
Acadian,  or  one  of  the  Frenchmen  who  had  emi 
grated  from  Canada,  or  any  kind  of  a  West  Indian. 

203 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

His  was  certainly  an  alien  presence  in  those  regions. 

The  moon  slid  back  behind  a  cloud,  the  silver  rays 
failed,  and  the  figure  of  the  man  became  more  in 
distinct,  almost  a  shadow,  thin  and  impalpable. 
Then  he  bent  far  over  in  a  stooping  position,  passed 
rapidly  through  a  patch  of  scrub  bushes,  and  came 
much  nearer  to  the  log  prison. 

At  the  edge  of  the  bushes  he  stopped  again  and 
watched  the  prison  for  at  least  a  minute.  Two  sol 
diers  were  on  watch  in  front  of  it  before  the  single 
door,  two  soldiers  in  Spanish  uniform,  who  were 
suffering  from  tedium,  and  who  were  quite  sure,  any 
way,  that  unarmed  prisoners  could  not  escape  from  a 
one-room  building  of  logs  with  but  a  single  door, 
secured  by  a  huge,  oak  shutter,  and  two  windows, 
each  too  small  to  admit  the  passage  of  a  boy's  or 
man's  body. 

The  two  soldiers  slouched  in  their  walk,  and  pres 
ently,  when  their  beats  met  before  the  door,  they  let 
the  butts  of  their  guns  rest  on  the  ground,  and  ex 
changed  pleasant  talk  about  pretty,  dark  girls  that 
they  had  known  in  far-away  Spain.  One  boldly 
lighted  a  cigarrito  and  the  other  encouraged  by  his 
example  did  likewise.  Hark,  what  was  that?  "  A 
lizard  in  the  grass,"  said  Carlos.  u  Yes,  certainly," 
said  Juan.  They  continued  to  smoke  their  cigarritos 
blissfully,  and  talk  of  the  pretty,  dark  girls  that  they 
had  known  in  far-away  Spain. 

As  they  smoked  and  talked,  and  found  smoke, 
talk,  and  company  pleasant,  they  did  not  see  a  shadow 
glide  swiftly  from  the  bushes  and  pass  to  the  rear 

204 


THE  SHADOW  IN  THE  FOREST 

of  the  log  prison  that  they  were  guarding  so  well. 
Nor  could  they  see  the  shadow,  since  the  building 
was  now  between  them,  resolve  itself  again  into 
the  figure  of  a  man,  who  stood  upright  against  the 
wall,  his  face  at  one  of  the  little  slits  of  windows. 

Their  own  talk  was  so  pleasant,  and  the  sound  of 
their  voices  was  such  a  cure  for  lonesomeness  on  a 
dark  night,  that  they  did  not  hear  the  man  at  the 
little  slit  of  a  window  utter  a  faint  warning  hiss. 
Nor  did  they  hear  something  a  moment  later  fall 
with  a  slight  metalic  sound  on  the  bark  floor  of  the 
prison.  The  sound  was  repeated  in  an  instant,  but 
still  they  did  not  hear  it,  and  then  the  figure  of  a 
man,  melting  back  to  a  shadow,  glided  away  from 
the  house  and  into  the  bushes  and  thence  to  the  for 
est,  where  it  was  lost. 

Carlos  and  Juan  chatted  until  their  cigarritos  were 
smoked  out.  Then  they  shouldered  their  muskets 
and  continued  the  watch  that  seemed  to  them  so 
easy.  How  could  unarmed  men  escape  through  such 
a  thickness  of  logs?  The  shadow  in  the  forest  was 
lost  to  the  sight  of  any  possible  Spaniard,  but  not  to 
the  sight  of  another  shadow  that  arose  from  the 
bushes  and  flitted  after  it.  The  two  shadows  were 
now  deep  in  the  forest,  but  the  second  hung  close  on 
the  first,  making  no  noise,  and  sinking  quickly  to  the 
ground,  when  the  other  looked  back. 

This  second  shadow,  as  it  passed  through  a  par 
tially  open  space,  also  revealed  itself  in  the  moonlight 
as  a  man,  but  a  man  ghastly  and  terrible  in  appear 
ance.  He  had  a  hideous,  feline  face,  and  he  was 

205 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

naked,  save  a  breech-cloth  at  the  waist.  He  carried 
but  a  single  weapon,  a  knife  in  his  ready  hand,  but  the 
eyes  were  those  of  the  most  utter  savage  expecting  a 
speedy  prey. 

The  first  shadow  reached  a  little  grove  free  from 
undergrowth  and  stopped.  He  was  about  to  lie  down, 
rifle  by  his  side,  and  seek  sleep,  but  his  ear,  attuned 
to  the  w'lderness,  caught  a  faint  sound.  It  was  not 
the  wind  among  the  leaves,  nor  the  gliding  of  a 
snake,  nor  the  chirp  of  an  insect,  but  a  sound  that 
was  not  a  part  of  the  night  harmony.  The  sensitive 
ear  had  given  him  warning,  as  the  instinct  of  an  an 
imal  warns  that  an  enemy  has  come. 

The  first  shadow  slid  from  the  grove  and  into  the 
undergrowth,  sank  low,  and,  waiting,  caught  sight  of 
the  second  shadow,  the  man  who  pursued.  He  saw 
the  naked  figure,  the  feline  face,  and  the  ready  knife 
in  hand.  The  skill  and  wonderful  forest  intuition  of 
the  second  man  had  been  matched  by  those  of  the 
first. 

The  pursued,  when  he  caught  that  glimpse  of  his 
pursuer,  laid  his  rifle  carefully  on  the  earth,  because 
he  did  not  wish  a  shot  to  be  heard,  and  drew  his  own 
knife.  Slight  as  was  the  sound  that  he  made  the 
other  heard  it,  turned  in  a  flash,  and  the  two  sprang 
at  each  other. 

The  moonlight  streamed  for  a  moment  along  their 
knife  blades  and  then  they  struck.  One  stepped  back, 
and  remained  standing  upright.  The  other  swayed 
a  moment  and  then  fell  without  a  sound,  lying  upon 
his  back. 

206 


THE  SHADOW  IN  THE  FOREST 

He  who  lay  staring  with  sightless  eyes  up  at  the 
moon  was  the  man  with  the  feline  face  and  the  body 
naked  save  for  the  cloth  at  the  waist.  The  other, 
unharmed,  stood,  looking  at  him  a  moment  or  two, 
and  then  plunged  deeper  into  the  forest. 

Morning  dawned.  The  sun  swung  up  through  a 
terrace  of  rosy  clouds,  and  Luiz  brought  the  four 
their  breakfast,  callas  tons  chauds,  other  food  of  La 
Louisiane,  and  milk  and  coffee.  They  ate  and  drank 
with  a  great  appetite,  and  it  seemed  to  Luiz  that  they 
were  quite  cheerful,  for  which  he  was  truly  glad,  be 
cause  one  of  these  men  had  saved  his  life,  and  the 
wounded  youth  who  made  an  especial  appeal  to  him 
had  been  subjected  to  barbarous  treatment.  But 
Paul  could  use  his  injured  arm  already.  His  blood 
was  so  healthy  that  the  scratch  of  the  sword  healed 
fast. 

Two  or  three  hours  later  Francisco  Alvarez  and 
Braxton  Wyatt  entered  the  prison.  The  renegade 
was  not  above  showing  by  his  looks  that  he  rejoiced 
in  his  triumph  over  his  enemies,  but  the  face  of  Al 
varez  was  without  expression. 

"  I  have  come  to  tell  you,"  said  the  Spaniard, 
"  that  you  will  be  held  here  subject  to  my  will.  But 
you  will  not  be  treated  badly.  At  such  time  as  I 
think  fit  you  may  be  taken  to  New  Orleans." 

"  It  seems  that  the  words  of  Father  Montigny 
were  not  to  be  despised,"  said  Henry  maliciously. 

;'  Father  Montigny  disposes  of  nothing  here," 
said  Alvarez.  "  This  is  to  be  done  because  I  think 
it  best." 

207 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Then  he  and  Wyatt  went  out,  but  that  afternoon 
when  Alvarez  was  sitting  in  the  cool  shadow  of  the 
pillared  portico,  there  came  to  him  a  man,  dusty,  and 
riding  fast,  who  delivered  to  him  a  document  sealed 
with  red  seals,  and  important  in  appearance. 

When  Alvarez  read  the  paper  he  frowned,  and 
then  cursed  under  his  breath.  It  was  written  in  plain 
letters  and  its  meaning  was  plain,  also.  It  stated 
that  Bernardo  Galvez,  the  Governor  General  at  New 
Orleans,  had  learned  that  his  brave  and  loyal  captain, 
Don  Francisco  Louis  Philip  Ferdinand  Alvarez, 
held  in  his  possession  four  prisoners  from  Kaintock, 
persons  of  daring,  whose  presence  in  Louisiana  might 
be  of  great  significance.  Therefore  His  Excellency, 
Bernardo  Galvez,  Governor  General  of  Louisiana, 
commanded  his  trusty  and  loyal  captain,  Don  Fran 
cisco  Louis  Philip  Ferdinand  Alvarez,  to  bring  the 
aforesaid  four  prisoners,  from  Kaintock,  to  New 
Orleans  at  once. 

"  At  once !  "  repeated  Alvarez  angrily  to  himself. 
"  That  means  not  next  week  but  now,  and  I  am  com 
pelled  to  obey.  To  refuse  or  to  evade  would  make 
a  breach  too  soon." 

He  sent  for  Braxton  Wyatt  and  told  him  of  the 
letter.  The  renegade  was  startled,  but  he  counseled 
immediate  obedience  from  motives  of  policy. 

"  How  could  Galvez  have  known?  "  said  Alvarez. 
"  How  could  the  news  have  reached  New  Orleans 
so  soon?  " 

"  Perhaps  the  priest  has  told,"  suggested  Wyatt. 

"  No,  that  is  impossible.  He  came  from  up  river, 
208 


THE  SHADOW  IN  THE  FOREST 

and  I  am  glad  to  say  that  he  left  again  in  his  canoe 
this  morning.  Those  Capuchins  to  whom  he  belongs 
shall  be  well  punished,  if  I  gain  the  power  in  Louis 
iana.  They  shall  be  expelled,  every  one  of  them, 
from  New  Orleans,  and  their  old  rivals,  the  Jesuits, 
shall  take  their  place.  It's  one  of  the  first  things 
that  I  mean  to  do." 

"  It  would  be  a  wise  thing  to  do,"  said  Braxton 
Wyatt.  He  cared  nothing  for  either  Capuchin  or 
Jesuit,  but  he  hated  and  feared  Father  Montigny, 
and  would  be  glad  to  know  that  he  was  driven  from 
the  country. 

"  We  must  start  in  the  morning,"  said  Alvarez. 
"  It  will  not  take  us  long  to  reach  New  Orleans  by 
the  river,  and  I  can  spin  a  tale  that  will  lull  the  sus 
picions  of  Galvez." 

'  You  can  prove  many  things  by  me,"  said  Brax 
ton  Wyatt  significantly. 

"  Yes,  Sefior  Wyatt,  you  are  a  good  lieutenant," 
said  Alvarez,  and  he  meant  it.  '  We  will  make  our 
preparations  to-night  and  start  with  a  strong  force 
in  the  morning.  We  need  not  bring  the  prisoners 
forth  until  we  are  ready." 

Alvarez  slept  peacefully  that  night.  He  had  recov 
ered  his  spirits,  shaken  by  the  arrival  of  the  King's 
messenger.  Aided  by  the  dexterous  renegade,  Brax 
ton  Wyatt,  he  would  soon  persuade  Bernardo  Galvez 
that  he  had  acted  for  the  best  in  the  matter  of  the 
men  from  Kaintock. 

He  rose  early  the  next  morning  and,  as  a  mark  of 
signal  favor,  invited  Braxton  Wyatt  to  take  breakfast 

209 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

with  him.     While  they  sat  together  Luiz  came  in 
with  a  long  face. 

"  Now  what  is  it,  my  brave  Luiz?  "  said  Alvarez, 
who  was  in  an  exceeding  good  humor,  "  why  this  sat 
urnine  countenance?" 

"  I  beg  to  report,  your  Excellency,"  said  Luiz, 
"  that  the  Natchez  Indian  whom  they  call  The  Cat 
has  been  found  dead  in  the  forest,  of  a  knife  thrust 
that  came  out  behind  the  shoulder." 

"  That  is  bad,"  said  Alvarez.  "  Have  they  found 
out  who  did  it?  " 

"  No,  Your  Excellency.  There  were  some  signs 
of  a  struggle,  and  a  few  traces  of  foot-steps,  but  the 
trail  was  gone  before  they  had  followed  it  a  dozen 
yards." 

u  We  have  lost  a  good  man,"  said  Alvarez,  "  a 
matchless  spy  and  trailer,  but  it  cannot  be  helped.  I 
suppose  it  was  a  quarrel  with  some  savage  like  him 
self.  I  would  investigate  the  matter,  but  we  have 
not  time  now.  Come,  Luiz,  we  will  take  out  the 
prisoners,  and  then  to  the  boats." 

He  led  the  way  across  the  grass  to  the  log  house, 
—  two  sentinels,  again  it  was  Carlos  and  Juan  — 
walked  up  and  down  in  front  of  it  —  and  the  Spanish 
captain  was  pleased  at  their  vigilance.  He  gave 
them  a  very  good  morning  as  they  saluted  respect 
fully. 

"  Unlock  the  door,  Luiz,"  he  said.  "  This  is  a 
strong  prison  and  a  close  one.  I've  no  doubt  our  gal 
lants  from  Kaintock,  where  there  is  much  room,  will 
be  glad  to  be  outside  again." 

210 


THE  SHADOW  IN  THE  FOREST 

Luiz  inserted  the  huge  iron  key,  turned  it  in  the 
lock,  and  threw  wide  the  door.  Alvarez  looked  in, 
and  then  uttered  a  cry  so  charged  with  rage  that  even 
Braxton  Wyatt  was  startled.  He  pressed  close  up 
to  his  chief  and  gazed  over  his  shoulder. 

The  prison  was  empty ! 

"  What  does  this  mean?  "  shouted  Alvarez  at  the 
trembling  sentinels.  "The  prisoners  have  escaped! 
Idiots!  Blind  men!  What  have  you  been  doing? 
Have  you  helped  them  yourselves?  If  it  is  so,  both 
of  you  shall  be  shot!  " 

The  unfortunates,  Carlos  and  Juan,  stared  at  the 
empty  prison  and  crossed  themselves.  '  Witch 
craft,"  muttered  Carlos,  the  readier  of  the  two. 
'*  We  have  watched  faithfully  all  night,  my  captain. 
We  saw  nothing,  we  heard  nothing,  and  the  door  was 
locked,  as  you  behold.  We  are  honest  men  and  we 
have  been  faithful !  " 

Braxton  Wyatt  pointed  to  the  dark  corner  of  the 
prison. 

"  See,"  he  said,  "  that  is  how  they  went." 

Heaped  against  the  wall  was  a  pile  of  dirt,  and 
in  its  place  a  hole  large  enough  to  admit  a  man's  body 
led  under  the  logs.  The  Spaniard  cried  out  in  rage 
again. 

"  We  see  how  they  have  gone !  "  he  exclaimed, 
"  but  in  what  way  did  they  do  it?  Who  has  helped 
them !  " 

Braxton  Wyatt  examined  the  tunnel.  The  bottom 
logs  of  the  cabin  rested  squarely  upon  the  ground, 
after  the  primitive  fashion.  The  floor  was  of  bark, 

211 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

and  a  section  of  this  had  been  lifted.     The  prisoners 
had  then  dug  their  hole  under  the  log. 

"  It  was  done  with  metal  tools  of  some  kind,"  said 
Wyatt.  "  But  they  had  nothing  when  we  locked 
them  in  here.  I  can  swear  to  that,  as  I  was  one  of 
those  who  searched  them  well." 

"  Then  they  must  have  had  help !  "  exclaimed  Al 
varez,  and  again  he  turned  fiercely  upon  the  senti 
nels,  but  Braxton  Wyatt  intervened.  He  was  glad 
that  he  could  patronize  Alvarez  at  least  once  and 
show  himself  to  be  the  superior  in  discernment. 

'  These  men,  Your  Excellency,  of  whom  I  told 
you  to  beware,  were  five,"  he  said.  "  We  captured 
four,  therefore  one  was  left,  and  I  said  beware  of 
him,  even  alone.  He  is  a  fellow  of  great  cunning 
and  skill  who  would  try  anything.  He  has  come  for 
his  comrades,  and  he  has  taken  them  away  with  him." 

"  It  must  be  as  you  say,"  said  Alvarez,  seeking 
now  to  hide  his  anger.  He  was  not  sorry  on  the 
whole  that  the  sentinels  were  obviously  innocent,  as 
he  needed  as  many  adherents  as  he  could  keep,  in 
order  to  carry  out  his  great  plan. 

"  Knowing  that  the  window  was  too  small  to  admit 
them,  we  watched  only  the  front  where  the  door  is, 
Your  Excellency,"  said  Carlos,  still  trembling. 
"  Who  would  have  dreamed  that  these  men  of  Kain- 
tock  were  magicians,  that  without  picks  or  shovels 
they  could  burrow  under  the  earth  and  be  gone  like 
ghosts." 

"  Begone  yourselves !  "  exclaimed  Alvarez.  "  Get 
ready  for  the  boats  at  once !  " 

212 


THE  SHADOW  IN  THE  FOREST 

Carlos  and  Juan  fled  away,  glad  to  escape  the  sight 
of  their  master. 

"  Now  that  they  have  escaped,  what  do  you  think 
they  will  do?  "  asked  Alvarez  of  Wyatt. 

"  They  will  go  to  New  Orleans,"  replied  the  rene 
gade  promptly,  u  and  appear  before  Bernardo  Gal- 
vez  to  denounce  you." 

4  Then  our  own  start  must  not  be  delayed  a  mo 
ment!  "  exclaimed  Alvarez. 

In  an  hour  he  and  his  force  were  ready  to  embark. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE    WHITE    STALLION 

SHIF'LESS  SOL  led  the  way  through  the  for- 
est  and  four  ghostly  figures  followed  in  single 
file.  They  made  no  noise  as  they  passed  among 
the  cypresses  and  magnolias,  and  oaks  of  the  droop 
ing  foliage.  No  one  spoke,  but  the  leader  laughed 
more  than  once  in  his  throat,  a  laugh  which  never 
passed  the  lips,  but  which  was  full  of  satisfaction 
nevertheless.  He  felt  that  he,  Solomon  Hyde,  nick 
named  the  shiftless  one,  had  not  lived  in  vain.  He 
had  achieved  the  greatest  triumph  of  a  life  already 
crowded  with  dangers  and  deeds.  To  use  the  phrase 
of  a  later  day,  it  was  his  crowded  hour,  and  his  four 
comrades  gave  him  all  the  honor  and  glory  of  it. 

They  came  presently  to  a  still,  dark  channel  of 
water,  the  bayou,  and  stopped  on  its  bank.  A  light 
wind  had  risen,  and  as  it  blew  among  the  cypresses 
and  magnolias  and  oaks  of  the  drooping  foliage,  it 
blew  the  song  of  the  triumph  of  Shif'less  Sol.  The 
moonlight  fell  on  his  face  now  and  as  his  features 
drew  into  a  smile  he,  at  last,  permitted  himself  to 
laugh  outright. 

"It  was  wonderful,  Sol,"  said  Henry.  "We 
always  knew  that  you  were  near  us,  and  we  knew, 

214 


THE  WHITE  STALLION 

too,  that  because  you  were  near  us  we  were  near  to 
freedom." 

He  stepped  forward,  grasped  the  hand  of  the 
shiftless  one,  and  gave  it  a  fervent  shake.  Paul  at 
once  did  the  same,  then  followed  Long  Jim  and  Tom 
Ross.  Shif  less  Sol's  face  became  beatific.  He  had 
received  his  silent  tribute  and  it  was  enough.  The 
flavor  of  it  would  be  with  him  all  the  rest  of  his  life. 

"  What  did  you  fellers  think?  "  he  asked,  "  when 
them  two  big  knives  came  fallin'  down  on  the  floor. 
I'd  hev  called  to  you,  but  I  wuz  afeard  I'd  stir  up 
them  two  sentinels  on  the  other  side  of  the  house." 

'  We  knew  it  was  you,  Sol,"  replied  Paul,  "  and 
we  knew  then  that  our  escape  was  certain.  Where 
did  you  get  the  knives?  " 

"  I  stole  them  from  a  tool  house,"  replied  Sol  with 
pride.  "  I  guess  they  use  'em  to  cut  cane  with,  or 
something  like  that." 

"  We  certainly  cut  dirt  with  'em  at  a  great  rate," 
said  Henry,  "  and  here  we  are  free,  the  five  of  us 
together  again,  but  without  arms  except  the  two 
knives  you  threw  to  us." 

The  moonlight  was  deepening  and  the  shiftless 
one  stood  in  the  center  of  it.  His  figure  seemed 
suddenly  to  swell  and  the  calm,  victorious  light  of  the 
supreme  conqueror  came  into  his  eyes. 

"  Boys,"  he  said,  and  his  voice  was  even  and  pre 
cise,  as  a  victor's  should  be,  "  when  I  undertook  this 
here  job  o'  settin'  us  on  our  feet  agin,  I  undertook  to 
do  it  all.  I  not  only  meant  to  put  us  on  our  feet, 
but  to  git  us  ready  fur  runnin',  too.  Boys,  I  hev  took 

215 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

*  The  Gall-yun  '  from  the  Spaniards  ag'in  an'  she's 
waitin'  fur  us." 

"What!  what!"  they  cried  in  chorus.  "  You 
don't  mean  it,  Sol?  " 

"  I  shorely  do  mean  it.  All  the  boats  that  they 
expect  to  use  to-day  wuz  anchored  in  the  bi-yoo  or 
bay-yoo  or  whatever  they  call  it.  l  The  Gall-yun,' 
our  gall-yun,  wuz  at  the  end  o'  the  line  nearest  to  the 
big  river.  Nobody  wuz  on  board,  but  she  wuz  tied 
to  the  boat  next  to  her.  I  slipped  on  her  —  it  was 
pow'ful  dark  then  an'  the  Spaniards  wuz  keepin'  a 
slip-shod  watch,  anyhow  —  cut  the  rope  an'  floated 
her  down  the  stream,  where  I've  tied  her  up  under 
sech  thick  brush  that  nobody  'cept  ourselves  is  likely 
to  find  her.  She'll  be  thar,  waitin'  fur  us,  an'  don't 
you  doubt  it.  An'  fellers  all  our  rifles  an'  ammuni 
tion  an'  things  are  on  her.  It  wuz  the  captain's  boat, 
an'  I  s'pose  he  thought  he  might  ez  well  hev  them 
trophies,  an'  use  'em." 

"Is  this  really  true,  Sol?"  exclaimed  Paul,  al 
though  he  did  not  doubt. 

"  Gospel  truth.  We're  jest  ez  well  off  ez  we  wuz 
afore  we  wuz  captured.  I  don't  think,  either,  them 
Spaniards  will  miss  l  The  Gall-yun  '  until  mornin'. 
So  we  kin  be  up  an'  away  with  somethin'  o'  a  start." 

"  Lead  on,  Sol,"  said  Henry. 

Sol  led,  and  resumed  the  noiseless  Indian  file, 
They  found  the  good  ship,  u  The  Galleon,"  undei 
the  overhanging  bushes  where  Sol  had  left  her,  and 
rejoicingly  they  took  possession  again  of  the  boat, 
their  arms,  and  supplies. 

216 


THE  WHITE  STALLION 

"  Now  for  New  Orleans  and  the  Governor  Gen 
eral,"  said  Paul,  as  they  pushed  out  into  the  bayou. 
There  was  no  current  here,  but  their  powerful  arms 
at  the  oars  soon  sent  the  boat  into  the  Mississippi. 
There  they  set  the  sail  which  had  been  left  un 
changed,  and  as  a  good  wind  caught  it  they  went  on 
at  a  quickening  pace.  Wind,  current,  and  oars  com 
bined  made  the  low  banks  pass  swiftly  by. 

It  was  now  the  darkest  hour  and  all  things  were 
veiled.  Each  felt  a  great  satisfaction.  They  had 
the  courage,  after  such  a  great  and  skillful  escape, 
to  attempt  anything. 

"  It's  only  lately  that  I've  been  gittin'  friendly  with 
the  Missip,"  said  Shif'less  Sol.  "  It's  a  pow'ful  big 
river  an'  a  new  one,  but  me  an'  this  river  are  already 
jest  like  brothers.  It  ought  all  to  belong  to  us  peo 
ple  o'  Kentucky.  When  we  git  to  be  a  great  big  set 
tled  country,  hev  we  got  to  float  everything  down  it, 
right  in  among  the  Spaniards  or  the  French,  an'  they 
able  to  stop  us  ef  they  want  to?  'Pears  to  me  thar 
oughtn't  to  be  anything  but  a  string  o'  free  countries 
all  along  the  length  o'  this  big  river." 

"  I  think  that  is  what  is  likely  to  happen,"  said 
Paul  looking  into  the  future,  as  he  did  so  often. 
'  We'll  always  be  pressing  down,  and  we  can't  help 
it." 

"  Anyhow,"  resumed  Shif'less  Sol,  "  I'm  glad  that 
weVe  left  that  thar  place  o'  Booly,  or  Bee-yu-ly,  or 
whatever  they  call  it.  Funny  these  furrin'  people 
can't  pronounce  names  like  they  spell.  Now  we 
Americans,  an*  the  English,  who  use  our  language, 

217 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

call  words  jest  ez  they  are,  but  you  never  know  what 
a  Frenchman  or  a  Spaniard  is  goin'  to  make  out  ov 


'em." 


They  made  good  progress  throughout  the  day, 
and  saw  no  sign  of  the  flotilla  of  Alvarez  which  they 
had  feared  might  overtake  them.  They  were  agreed 
that  it  would  be  wise  for  them  to  reach  New  Orleans 
first,  and  hence  they  went  boldly  forward  into  the 
country  that  they  regarded  as  that  of  the  enemy,  con 
fident  of  their  fortune. 

The  river  widened  and  narrowed  frequently,  but 
always  it  was  very  deep.  It  was  not  beautiful  here, 
but  the  vast  current  flowing  between  low  shores  had 
a  somber  majesty  all  its  own.  Its  effect  upon  the 
imagination  of  every  one  of  them  was  heightened 
by  the  knowledge  that  the  stream  had  come  an  im 
measurable  distance,  from  unknown  regions,  and  that 
in  the  coming  it  had  gathered  into  itself  innumerable 
other  rivers,  most  of  which  also  had  come  from  lands 
of  mystery. 

They  stopped  one  morning  in  the  mouth  of  a  clear 
creek  that  flowed  into  the  Mississippi,  and  decided  to 
spend  the  day  in  making  repairs,  a  general  cleaning- 
up,  and  a  search  for  fresh  food.  It  was  the  universal 
opinion  that  they  would  profit  more  by  such  a  halt 
than  by  pushing  on  regardless  of  everything. 

It  was  a  beautiful  spot  in  which  they  lay.  They 
had  gone  about  a  hundred  yards  up  the  creek,  and 
Its  waters  here,  about  thirty  feet  across  and  five  or 
six  feet  deep,  were  perfectly  transparent.  But  this 
silver  stream  the  moment  it  entered  the  Mississippi 

218 


THE  WHITE  STALLION 

was  lost  in  the  great,  brown  current,  swallowed  up 
in  an  instant  by  the  giant  river. 

The  banks  of  the  creek  were  low  and  on  either 
side  brilliant  wild  flowers  grew  to  the  very  water's 
edge.  Ferns,  lilies,  and  other  plants  of  deeper  hues, 
were  massed  in  great  beds  that  ran  from  the  creek 
edges  back  to  the  forest.  Tall  birds  on  immensely 
long  and  slender  legs  stood  in  the  shallower  water 
and  now  and  then  as  quick  as  a  flash  of  lightning 
darted  down  a  hooked  bill.  Invariably  the  bill  came 
up  with  a  fish  struggling  in  its  grasp. 

Beautiful  flamingoes  hovered  about  the  bank  and 
many  birds  of  brilliant  plumage  darted  from  tree  to 
tree.  Few  of  these  sang,  except  the  mocking  bird, 
which  gave  forth  an  incessant  mellow  note.  But  it 
was  a  scene  of  uncommon  peace  and  beauty  and  all 
felt  its  influence. 

Henry  looked  at  the  creek  and  the  forest  through 
which  it  came  with  an  appreciative  eye.  He  knew 
because  the  waters  of  the  creek  were  clear  that  it 
must  flow  through  hard,  firm  ground,  and  he  was 
thinking  at  that  moment  of  a  plan  which  he  intended 
to  carry  out  later. 

Their  first  work  was  with  the  boat.  In  its  long 
voyage  on  the  river  it  had  gathered  mud  and  other 
objects  on  its  bottom.  This  they  could  see  perfectly 
now  that  it  lay  in  the  clear  water,  and  Shif  less  Sol 
and  Jim  Hart  volunteered  to  scrape  it  with  two  of 
the  shovels  that  were  contained  in  the  invaluable 
store  house  of  u  The  Galleon." 

Their  offer  was  accepted,  and  taking  off  their 
219 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

clothing,  they  sprang  into  the  water.  Once  a  huge 
cat  fish  from  the  Mississippi,  unused  to  man,  brushed 
against  Long  Jim's  leg,  its  horn  raking  him  slightly. 
With  a  shout  Long  Jim  sprang  almost  out  of  the 
water  and  clambered  up  the  side  of  the  boat. 

"  Somethin'  big  bit  me !  "  he  cried.  "  It  took  one 
uv  my  legs  with  him !  " 

"  It's  only  a  scared  cat  fish  and  you  still  have  two 
legs,  Jim,"  replied  Henry  laughing  boyishly,  because 
a  boy  he  was  in  spite  of  his  size  and  experience. 

Jim  looked  down,  and  a  great  smile  of  delight 
unfolded  like  a  fan  across  his  face  from  side  to  side. 

"  Guess  you're  right,  Henry,"  he  said,  "  an'  I  am 
still  all  in  one  piece." 

He  sprang  back  into  the  water,  and  he  and  Sol 
soon  finished  their  task.  After  that  it  was  arranged 
that  Sol,  Jim,  and  Tom  should  give  a  thorough  fur 
bishing  to  the  boat's  interior,  wash  and  dry  their 
spare  clothing  and  bedding,  while  Henry  and  Paul 
went  on  a  hunt  for  a  deer  to  replenish  their  larder. 

"  You  see,  Paul,"  said  Henry,  "  the  waters  of  this 
creek  are  quite  clear,  which  means  that  it  comes 
through  good,  hard  ground.  It's  likely  that  it  isn't 
far  back  to  one  of  the  little  prairies  which  I've  heard 
are  common  in  this  part  of  Louisiana,  and  in  a  wild 
country  like  this  where  there's  a  prairie  there's  pretty 
likely  to  be  deer." 

The  logic  seemed  good  to  Paul.  At  any  rate  he 
was  willing  enough  to  go  on  a  hunt,  stretch  his  legs, 
and  see  a  new  region.  Saying  that  they  should  prob 
ably  be  gone  all  day  they  started  at  once,  leaving 

220 


THE  WHITE  STALLION 

the   others   absorbed  in  the  task  of  housecleaning. 

They  reached  solid  ground  not  far  from  the 
creek's  edge  and  walked  along  briskly,  following  the 
course  of  the  stream  back  toward  its  source.  The 
soil  was  black  and  deep  and  the  forest  magnificent. 
Great  beeches  and  hickories  were  mingled  with  the 
willows  and  live  oaks  and  cypresses,  and  the  foliage 
was  thick,  green,  and  beautiful.  The  birds  seemed 
innumerable,  and  now  and  then  flocks  of  wild  fowl 
rose  with  a  whir  from  the  creek's  edge.  Keen,  pen 
etrating  odors  of  forest  and  wild  flower  came  to 
their  nostrils. 

Both  boys  threw  up  their  heads,  inhaled  the  odors, 
and  thrilled  in  every  fiber.  They  were  very  young, 
care  could  never  stay  with  them  long  and  now  they 
felt  only  the  sheer,  pure  delight  of  living.  They 
looked  back.  The  forest  had  already  shut  out  their 
boat,  and  one  who  did  not  know  would  not  have 
dreamed  that  the  longest  river  in  the  world  was  only 
a  mile  or  two  away.  They  were  alone  in  the  wilder 
ness  and  they  did  not  care.  They  were  sufficient,  for 
the  moment,  each  to  the  other. 

As  they  advanced,  the  creek  narrowed  and  the  for 
est  thickened.  The  trees  not  only  grew  closer  to 
gether,  but  there  was  a  vast  mass  and  network  of 
trailing  vines,  extended  from  trunk  to  trunk  and 
bough  to  bough.  One  huge  oak  in  the  very  center  of 
an  intricate  maze  of  vines  was  drawn  far  over  and 
its  boughs  were  twisted  into  strange,  distorted  shapes. 
It  was  obvious  to  both  that  the  vines,  singly  so  feeble, 
collectively  so  powerful,  had  done  it,  and  they  stood 

221 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

a  moment  or  two  wondering  at  this  proof  of  the 
power  of  united  and  unceasing  effort. 

They  went  a  mile  or  so  further  on,  and  Henry  led 
the  way  toward  the  left  and  from  the  creek.  An  in 
stinct  or  the  lay  of  the  land,  perhaps,  warned  him 
that  the  open  country  was  in  that  direction.  The 
trees,  had  begun  to  thin  already,  and  in  another 
mile  they  came  out  upon  a  beautiful  little  rolling 
prairie.  It  was  quite  clear  of  trees;  grass,  mingled 
with  wild  flowers,  grew  high  upon  it,  and  at  the  far 
edge  they  saw  the  figures  of  animals  grazing. 

"Deer!"  exclaimed  Paul.  "  There  they  are, 
Henry !  Just  waiting  for  us !  " 

Henry  took  a  long  and  keen  look,  then  shook  his 
head. 

"  No,  not  deer,  Paul,"  he  said.  "  Now  guess  what 
they  are." 

"They  can't  be  buffaloes,"  replied  Paul.  "I 
think,  Henry,  I'm  right;  they're  deer." 

"  No,"  said  Henry,  "  they're  horses." 

"  Horses !  Why  there  are  no  plantations  here 
abouts  !  " 

"  Not  tame  horses.  Wild  horses.  Descendants 
of  the  horses  that  the  Spaniards  brought  to  Mexico 
two  or  three  hundreds  ago." 

"  And  which  have  been  spreading  northward  ever 
since,"  continued  Paul,  alive  with  interest.  "  Let's 
try  to  get  a  near  look  at  them,  Henry." 

"  I'm  with  you,"  said  Henry. 

Full  of  boyish  curiosity  they  went  around  the 
prairie,  keeping  in  the  edge  of  the  woods  until  they 

222 


THE  WHITE  STALLION 

came  much  nearer  to  the  herd  of  wild  horses,  which 
numbered  about  thirty.  As  a  considerable  wind  was 
blowing  their  odor  away  from  the  animals,  they  could 
approach  very  closely  without  their  presence  being 
suspected. 

The  horses  were  clean  limbed  and  well-shaped,  and 
all  except  one  were  small  and  dark  of  color.  But 
that  one  was  a  noticeable  exception.  He  was  almost 
pure  white,  far  larger  than  the  others,  and  he  had 
a  great  flowing  white  mane  and  tail. 

The  herd  grazed  in  a  bunch,  but  the  magnificent 
white  stallion  stood  apart  on  the  side  next  to  the 
woods.  He,  too,  grazed  at  intervals,  but  most  of 
the  time  he  stood,  head  erect  like  a  sentinel  or  rather 
a  leader.  It  seemed  to  both  the  boys  that  his  whole 
attitude  was  full  of  spirit  and  majesty,  the  vast  free 
dom  of  the  wilderness.  He  carried,  too,  the  re 
sponsibility  for  the  whole  herd  and  he  knew  it. 

"  A  prairie  King,"  whispered  Paul.  "  Wouldn't 
I  like  to  catch  such  a  splendid  animal,  Henry,  and 
ride  him  into  New  Orleans!  " 

"  No  you  wouldn't,  Paul,"  replied  Henry. 
4  That  stallion  wasn't  made  to  be  ridden  by  anybody. 
Look,  Paul,  look!" 

Henry's  last  word  rose  to  an  excited  whisper,  and 
Paul's  gaze  quickly  followed  his  pointing  finger. 
Even  then  he  would  not  have  seen  anything  had  he 
not  looked  long  and  carefully.  At  last  he  made  out 
a  long,  tawny  shape  on  a  low-lying  bough  of  a  tree 
at  the  very  edge  of  the  forest.  The  shape  was  flat 
tened  against  the  bough  and  almost  blended  with  it. 

223 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  A  panther!  "  whispered  Paul. 

Henry  nodded.  It  was,  in  fact,  a  large  specimen 
of  the  panther  or  southern  cougar,  and  Henry  whis 
pered  again: 

"  See  what  he  is  after!  " 

A  small  colt  from  the  herd  had  wandered  danger 
ously  near  to  the  forest  and  the  bough  on  which  the 
cougar  lay,  watching  him  with  the  yellow,  famished 
eyes  of  the  great,  hungry  cat. 

"Shoot  him,  Henry!  Shoot  him!"  whispered 
Paul.  *  You  can  reach  him  with  a  bullet  from  here. 
Don't  let  him  kill  the  poor,  little  colt!  " 

"  I'd  do  it  if  it  were  needed,"  replied  Henry,  "  but 
I  don't  think  it  will  be.  See,  Paul,  the  Prairie  King 
suspects!  " 

The  great  white  stallion  raised  his  head  a  little 
higher.  It  may  be  that  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  the 
tawny  form  and  yellow,  hungry  eyes  amid  the  fo 
liage  of  the  bough,  or  it  may  be  that  a  sudden  flaw  in 
the  wind  brought  to  his  nostrils  the  pungent  odor 
of  the  big  cat.  He  reared  and  stamped,  the  startled 
colt  turned  away,  and  the  cougar,  afraid  that  he 
was  about  to  lose  his  chance,  sprang. 

A  yellow  compact  mass,  bristling  with  sharp,  white 
teeth  and  long,  hooked  claws  shot  through  the  air, 
but  the  distance  was  too  great.  The  colt  had  turned 
just  in  time,  and  the  cougar  fell  short.  He  gathered 
himself  instantly  for  another  spring,  but  quick  as  he 
was,  he  was  not  quick  enough. 

The  boys  heard  a  fierce  neigh,  and  the  great  stal 
lion,  wild  with  rage,  launched  himself  upon  the  cou- 

224 


THE  WHITE  STALLION 

gar.  Agile  and  powerful  though  the  great  cat  was, 
the  sharp  hoofs  trampled  him  down.  Taken  at  a 
disadvantage,  just  at  the  moment  when  his  first 
spring  had  spent  itself,  he  was  no  match  for  the  pro 
tector  of  the  herd.  No  bone  could  resist  the  impact 
of  those  heavy  terrible  hoofs.  No  skull  was  thick 
enough  to  save.  The  cougar  squealed,  clawed,  and 
bit  wildly,  but  in  an  incredibly  quick  space  he  was 
trampled  to  death  and  lay  quite  still.  The  boys  be 
lieved  that  every  bone  in  him  must  have  been  broken. 

The  herd  had  run  some  distance  away  in  fright 
at  the  cougar's  leap,  but  while  the  swift  combat 
lasted  it  stood  looking  on.  Now  the  stallion,  after 
a  last  look  at  the  slain  robber,  turned  and  walked 
away  in  triumph  to  the  herd  that  he  had  protected  so 
well.  It  seemed  to  the  glorified  fancy  of  the  boys 
that  he  held  his  head  higher  than  ever,  and  that  his 
great  mane  and  tail  flowed  away  in  new  ripples.  He 
stalked  proudly  at  the  head  of  the  herd  down  to  the 
other  side  of  the  prairie,  where  they  went  placidly 
on  with  their  grazing. 

*  That  is  certainly  one  thing  that  turned  out 
right,"  said  Paul  in  a  gratified  tone. 

1  The  hoofs  of  a  powerful  and  enraged  wild  stal 
lion  are  a  terrible  thing,"  said  Henry.  "  Even  a 
deer,  which  is  far  smaller,  can  kill  a  man  with  its 
hoofs.  But  if  you'll  look  again,  Paul,  you'll  see  that 
a  new  danger  threatens  our  king  of  horses." 

Paul  followed  Henry's  gaze,  and  he  distinctly 
saw  two  or  three  human  figures  at  the  edge  of  the 
wood.  These  figures  were  hidden  from  the  horses 

225 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

by  a  swell  of  the  prairies,  and,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
cougar,  the  wind  blew  their  odor  away. 

"  Indians?"   asked   Paul. 

"  I  can't  tell  at  this  distance,"  replied  Henry, 
"  but  it's  more  likely  that  they  belong  to  the  party 
of  Alvarez,  and  perhaps  they  know  that  wild  horses 
frequent  this  prairie  and  others  hereabouts.  See 
what  they  are  doing !  " 

Paul  saw  well  enough.  One  man  carrying  on  his 
arm  a  coil  of  rope,  the  lariat  of  Mexico,  lay  down 
in  the  long  grass  which  completely  hid  him,  but  both 
Henry  and  Paul  knew  that  he  was  creeping  forward 
inch  by  inch  toward  the  beautiful  stallion  that  was 
grazing  not  ten  yards  from  the  woods. 

;'  When  he  comes  close  enough,  if  he  can  do  so 
before  the  horse  takes  the  alarm,"  said  Henry,  "  he 
will  throw  the  rope  and  catch  the  horse  by  the  neck 
in  the  running  noose  at  the  end." 

"  But  the  horse  will  take  alarm,"  said  Paul  hope 
fully. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Henry.  "  He  may  think 
in  his  horse  mind  that  one  enemy  in  one  day  is  as 
much  as  he  has  need  to  dread." 

It  seemed  that  Henry  was  right.  Exultant  in  his 
victory  over  the  cougar,  the  Prairie  King  had  re 
laxed  his  vigilance.  More  often  now  his  head  was 
down,  cropping  the  grass  like  the  rest  of  the  herd. 
Henry  and  Paul  believed  that  they  could  see  the 
grass  rippling  as  the  new  and  more  cunning  enemy 
crept  forward.  But  it  was  only  agile  fancy  —  they 
were  too  far  away. 


THE  WHITE  STALLION 

"  What  ever  happens  it's  bound  to  happen  soon," 
said  Henry. 

Even  as  he  spoke  the  man  in  the  grass  sprang  to 
his  feet,  threw  forth  his  right  arm,  and  the  rope 
shot  out  like  a  snake  uncoiling  itself  as  it  sprang. 
Both  Paul  and  Henry  felt  a  pang  when  they  saw  the 
loop  enclose  the  neck  of  the  noble  horse,  while  the 
man  himself  and  his  comrades  uttered  loud  shouts  of 
exultation. 

"  He  has  caught  him !  "  exclaimed  Paul  sadly. 

"  Yes,"  said  Henry,  "  and  I'm  sorry,  but  it  was 
a  wonderful  feat  of  skill  and  patience!  " 

The  frightened  herd  ran  away,  and  the  white  stal 
lion  reared  and  struggled,  his  great  eyes  red  and 
distended  with  rage  and  astonishment.  Two  men 
ran  forward  and  seized  the  rope  which  their  com 
rade  had  thrown  so  skillfully.  Then  the  three  pulled 
hard. 

But  the  quarry  was  too  magnificent.  They  had 
miscalculated  the  white  stallion's  strength.  Caught 
by  the  neck,  he  dragged,  nevertheless,  all  three  over 
the  prairie,  and  then,  suddenly  making  a  mighty 
lunge,  tore  the  rope  from  their  grasp,  leaving  them 
thrown  headlong  to  the  earth.  Away  he  went,  the 
long  rope  flying  out  behind  him  like  a  streamer. 

Doubtless  some  failure  of  the  noose  to  draw 
tightly  around  his  neck  had  saved  the  horse,  and  this 
was  proved  when  the  rope  catching  in  a  bush  slipped 
off  over  his  head  as  he  struggled  again.  Then  the 
stallion,  by  chance,  or  because  his  horse's  mind  in 
clined  him  to  it,  uttered  a  long,  shrill  neigh  of 

227 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

triumph,  kicked  his  heels  high  in  the  air,  and  galloped 
away,  his  flowing  tail  streaming  out  behind  him,  a 
banner  of  triumph. 

"  He's  won  again,"  said  Henry  in  a  tone  of  glad 
ness.  "  I  told  you  that  horse  wasn't  made  ever  to 
be  ridden." 

"  But  he  has  to  struggle  continually  for  life  and 
freedom,"  said  Paul. 

'  Just  the  same  as  we  do,"  rejoined  Henry. 

"  See  those  fellows  are  picking  themselves  up;  but 
they've  been  slow  about  it." 

"  I  don't  blame  them.  I  fancy  they  suffered  some 
pretty  severe  bruises  when  the  horse  jerked  them 
down.  Paul,  I  think  I  can  make  out  two  white  faces 
in  that  party,  which  almost  certainly  means  that 
they  are  the  men  of  Alvarez.  And  it  says  to  us  that 
we  ought  to  hurry." 

"  But  not  without  our  deer,  I  hope,"  said  Paul. 

They  gave  one  last  look  at  the  far  edge  of  the 
prairie,  where  they  could  still  dimly  see  the  white 
stallion,  now  keeping  well  away  from  the  woods. 

"  I  don't  think  anything  will  get  him,"  said  Henry, 
"  and  I  hope  not.  Just  as  we  do,  he  loves  to  be 
free." 

They,  too,  re-entered  the  woods  and  were  fortu 
nate  enough  to  find  a  deer  quickly.  Henry  was  will 
ing  to  risk  the  chance  of  the  shot  being  heard  by 
their  enemies  and  his  bullet  brought  it  down.  Then 
they  cut  up  the  body  and  took  it  back  to  the  boat, 
where  they  told  all  that  had  occurred.  The  others 
agreed  that  if  Alvarez  and  his  men  were  in  the  vi- 

228 


THE  WHITE  STALLION 

cinity  they  ought  to  leave  at  once,  and,  transferring 
the  drying  clothes  from  the  bank  to  the  boat,  they 
entered  the  Mississippi  once  more  and  set  sail  down 
its  stream. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

NEW  ORLEANS 

THEY  sailed  and  rowed  steadily  on  for 
several  days.  Once  or  twice  they  saw 
canoes  or  boats  containing  white  men,  who 
regarded  them  curiously,  but  none  approached. 
They  inferred  that  they  were  now  very  near  New 
Orleans,  and  all  the  five  were  alert  with  anticipa 
tion.  Besides  the  accomplishment  of  their  great 
task,  they  were  about  to  visit  a  metropolis,  a  seat 
of  government,  a  city  of  eight  or  ten  thousand  people, 
commanding  the  road  to  the  heart  of  the  North 
American  continent,  swarming  with  many  races,  and 
destined,  as  all  the  world  then  believed,  to  be  the 
largest  place  in  either  America.  It  is  no  wonder 
that  the  bosoms  of  the  five  throbbed  with  curiosity, 
and  that  they  looked  forward  to  strange  and  varied 
sights. 

"  Now,  Jim,"  said  Shif'less  Sol  in  a  warning  tone 
to  Long  Jim,  "  I've  got  advice  to  give  you.  I  wuz 
in  a  big  town  once.  I  told  you  about  that  time  I 
went  to  Baltimore  when  I  wuz  a  little  boy,  an7  so 
I'm  fit  to  tell  you  how  to  behave.  New  Or-lee-yuns 
ain't  like  the  woods,  Jim.  Don't  you  be  too  handy 
with  your  gun.  Ef  you  see  a  man  follerin'  along 

230 


NEW  ORLEANS 

behind  you  ez  ef  he  wuz  trailin'  you,  don't  you  up 
an'  take  a  shot  at  him.  Like  ez  not  he's  about  his 
business,  only  it  happens  to  be  in  the  same  direction 
that  you're  goin'.  An',  Jim,  don't  you  go  to  gittin' 
dizzy,  through  seein'  so  many  people  about.  Mebbe 
you  don't  think  thar  will  be  sech  a  crowd,  but  you'll 
believe  it  when  you  see  it." 

"  Sol  Hyde,"  rejoined  Long  Jim  indignantly, 
"  I'm  sorry  New  Or-lee-yuns  ain't  right  at  the  sea, 
'cause  the  sea  is  salt,  so  I've  heard,  an'  then  ef  I  wuz 
to  dip  you  in  it  three  or  four  times  it  would  do  you 
a  pow'ful  lot  uv  good.  Salt  is  shorely  mighty  help 
ful  in  the  curin'  up  uv  fresh  things." 

"  There  goes  another  of  those  canoes,"  said  Paul, 
"  but  I  can't  tell  whether  it's  a  white  man  or  an 
Indian  in  it." 

"  It's  a  white  man,"  said  Henry,  "  but  I  fancy  it's 
a  West  Indian  Frenchman  or  Spaniard.  I've  heard 
that  some  of  them  are  as  dark  as  Indians." 

"  Time  to  think  'bout  tyin'  up  for  the  dark,"  said 
Tom  Ross.  "  We  might  go  on  all  night,  but  we 
need  to  save  our  strength  fur  to-morrow.  What  do 
you  say  to  that  little  cove  over  thar  on  the  west  bank, 
Henry?" 

"  Looks  as  if  it  would  be  the  right  place,"  replied 
Henry,  "  and  it  is  certainly  time  to  stop.  The  sun 
seems  to  go  down  faster  here  than  it  does  in  Ken 
tucky." 

The  twilight  was  spreading  swiftly  over  the  arch 
from  west  to  east  as  they  entered  the  cove  and  tied 
"  The  Galleon  "  to  a  live  oak.  Paul  leaped  joyfully 

231 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

ashore,  glad  to  stretch  his  limbs  again.  The  others 
quickly  followed,  and  they  set  about  gathering  wood 
to  build  a  fire.  They  were  out  of  the  Indian  coun 
try  now  and  they  had  no  need  to  be  cautious. 

Paul  bestirred  himself  looking  for  brushwood. 
Presently  he  found  at  the  edge  of  the  water  a  dead 
bough  which  was  long  enough  to  be  broken  into  sev 
eral  sticks  of  convenient  length.  He  picked  it  up, 
and  for  the  purpose  of  breaking  it  brought  it  down 
heavily  on  a  large  brown  log  lying  in  the  mud  near 
the  water. 

To  Paul's  amazement  and  horror,  the  big  brown 
log  got  into  action  at  either  end.  One  end,  in  the 
shape  of  a  tail,  whipped  around  at  him,  barely  miss 
ing  him,  and  the  other  end,  splitting  itself  horizon 
tally  in  half,  revealed  huge  jaws  lined  with  terrible 
teeth.  Paul  sprang  back  with  a  cry,  and  Henry, 
who  was  near,  rifle  in  hand,  fired  a  ball  into  the 
monster's  brain.  The  big  brown  log,  that  was  no 
log,  turned  partially  over  and  died. 

"  An  alligator,"  said  Henry,  "  I've  heard  of  them, 
but  this  is  the  first  that  I've  ever  seen." 

"  I've  heard  of  them,  too,"  said  Paul,  "  but  I 
never  thought  I'd  walk  almost  into  the  mouth  of 
one  without  knowing  it." 

Shif'less  Sol  had  his  grievance,  too. 

"  Now  that's  another  o'  the  ways  o'  this  here 
southern  country  1  "  he  exclaimed  in  a  pained  tone, 
"  A  big,  hungry,  wild  animal,  tryin'  to  pass  itself 
off  ez  an  old  dead  log.  Up  in  Kentucky,  a  good 
honest  bear,  or  even  a  sneakin'  panther,  would  b« 

232 


NEW  ORLEANS 

ashamed  to  look  you  in  the  face  after  tryin'  to  play 
sech  a  low-down  trick  on  a  man." 

"  It  is  certainly  a  hideous  brute,"  said  Paul. 

"  I'm  thinkin'  that  we'd  better  build  our  fire  big," 
said  Long  Jim.  "  I  don't  want  to  wake  up  in  the 
mornin'  an'  find  myself  devoured  by  an  alligator, 
jest  when  I  wuz  about  to  reach  the  great  town  uv 
New  Or-lee-yuns." 

But  they  were  not  molested  that  night  by  either 
man  or  animal,  and  the  next  day,  watchful  and  sur 
charged  with  interest,  they  approached  New  Or 
leans,  which  was  bulking  so  large  to  them.  The 
river  looped  out  into  a  crescent  and  narrowed  greatly. 
As  they  came  to  the  city,  the  Mississippi  did  not  seem 
to  them  to  be  more  than  a  third  of  a  mile  wide,  but 
they  knew  that  it  was  extremely  deep. 

But  there,  snugly  within  the  crescent,  lay  New 
Orleans,  a  town  enclosed  within  palisaded  fortifica 
tions  that  faced  the  levee  for  about  a  thousand  yards, 
and  that  ran  back  perhaps  half  as  far.  The  levee 
was  lined  with  vessels.  Already  New  Orleans  was 
famous  for  shipping,  and  they  saw  the  flags  of  many 
nations.  Schooners  there  were  and  brigs  and  brigan- 
tines,  and  barks  and  barkentines,  and  other  craft 
from  Europe  and  the  West  Indies  and  South  Amer 
ica.  Near  the  shore  was  a  great,  high  ship,  from 
which  the  red  and  yellow  flag  of  Spain  fluttered  in 
more  than  one  place,  while  the  muzzles  of  cannon 
protruded  from  her  wooden  sides. 

"  That's  an  armed  galleon,"  said  Paul. 

"  She's  a  big  ship  an'  she's  got  lots  o'  men  on 
233 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

her,"  said  Shif'less  Sol,  "  but  I  wouldn't  trade  our 
gall-yun  fur  her." 

"  No,  our  boat  suits  us  best,"  said  Henry. 

They  saw  about  them  on  the  river  many  small 
craft  like  their  own,  ships,  boats,  canoes,  barges, 
dug-outs,  and  other  kinds,  manned  by  white  men,  red 
men,  yellow  men,  and  brown  men.  They  heard 
strange  cries  in  foreign  tongues,  and  now  and  then 
the  sound  of  a  trumpet  blown  at  one  of  the  forts  in 
the  palisaded  wall.  Officers  in  brilliant  uniforms  ap 
peared  on  the  levee. 

The  eyes  of  Long  Jim'  Hart  opened  wider  and 
wider. 

"  It  shorely  is  a  big  town,"  he  said.  "  Sol,  I'd 
been  thinkin'  that  you  an'  Paul  wuz  tellin'  a  good 
deal  that  ain't,  but  I  reckon  it's  the  truth.  The 
world  has  a  lot  more  people  than  I  thought  it  had. 
I'm  pow'ful  glad  I  came." 

They  turned  "  The  Galleon  "  toward  the  levee, 
and  an  officer  in  a  boat  pulled  by  four  uniformed 
oarsmen  hailed  them  in  Spanish,  which  none  of  them 
understood. 

"  Must  be  a  harbor  master  or  something  of  that 
kind,"  said  Henry. 

They  brought  "  The  Galleon  "  to  a  stop,  and  the 
other  boat  came  alongside.  The  officer  in  the  bow 
was  a  Catalan,  richly  dressed,  and  small,  but  with 
a  thin,  alert  face.  He  looked  at  the  five  with  as 
much  curiosity  as  they  looked  at  him.  Secretly  he 
admired  their  splendid  shoulders  and  chests,  and  their 
obvious  strength.  He  was  acute  enough,  too,  to 

234 


NEW  ORLEANS 

guess  whence  they  came.     Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal 
had  not  been  two  years  in  New  Orleans  for  nothing. 

*  You  come  from  Kaintock?  "  he  said  in  fair  and 
not  unfriendly  English. 

*  Yes,"  replied  Henry,  "  we  are  all  the  way  from 
Kentucky,   and  we  have  an  important  message   for 
the  Governor  General,  Bernardo  Galvez.     Can  you 
tell  us  how  to  reach  him?  " 

Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal  glanced  at  "  The  Gal 
leon,"  which  was  obviously  of  Spanish  build,  but 
he  was  a  shrewd  officer  who  would  make  his  way  in 
the  world  and  he  knew  that  many  strange  things 
passed  inspection  in  this  great  Franco-Spanish  me 
tropolis  of  New  Orleans. 

"  His  Excellency,  the  Governor  General,"  he  re 
plied,  "  is  now  at  his  house  at  the  corner  of  Toulouse 
street  and  Rue  de  la  Levee,  but  it  is  too  late  for 
you  to  see  him  to-day.  To-morrow  morning  you 
may  secure  audience  with  him  if  you  have  the  im 
portant  message  that  you  say." 

The  five  disregarded  the  ironical  tone  in  his  voice. 
They  were  good  enough  judges  of  character  to 
surmise  that  Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal,  whose  name 
and  career  were  unknown  to  them,  did  not  care  a  par 
ticle  how  they  had  come  into  possession  of  the  boat 
which  was  so  obviously  of  Spanish  build.  There 
was  no  advantage  to  him  in  asking  too  many  ques 
tions,  and  he  calmly  waved  them  to  a  landing. 

They  pulled  in  and  tied  their  boat  to  the  levee, 
while  men  and  women,  white,  yellow,  brown,  and 
black,  and  all  the  colors  between,  stood  about  and 

235 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

looked  at  the  giants  from  Kaintock,  where  people 
were  reported  to  be  of  such  extraordinary  size  and 
ferocity,  and  where  they  certainly  were,  as  their  own 
eyes  could  tell  them,  of  uncommon  height  and 
strength,  even  boys  such  as  they  saw  Henry  and  Paul 
to  be. 

While  the  five  were  engaged  in  this  task,  rabbais, 
or  peddling  merchants,  some  Provencals  and  some 
Catalans  came  to  sell  them  goods,  which  they  car 
ried  in  coffin-shaped  vehicles  pushed  before  them. 
They  had  wares,  mostly  small  articles  from  Spain 
and  France  and  the  West  Indies.  Colored  women 
carrying  immense  cans  of  milk  or  coffee  on  their 
heads  passed  by  or  lingered  in  hope  of  a  sale.  Oth 
ers  were  calling  for  sale  callas  and  cakes  tons  chauds 
in  monotonous,  drawling  voices.  Negresses,  also, 
were  trying  to  sell  belles  chandelles,  which  were  dirty 
candles  made  from  green  myrtle  wax,  the  chief  light 
then  sold  in  the  city. 

The  five  understood  the  gestures  of  this  rabble, 
although  not  their  words,  and  waved  them  away,  not 
caring  to  buy  anything. 

"  Keep  cool,  Jim!  keep  cool!  "  said  Shif'less  Sol. 
"  Don't  shoot.  They  don't  want  to  kill  you ;  they 
jest  want  to  rob  you." 

"  Depends  on  what  they  want  to  rob  me  uv,"  re 
plied  Long  Jim  with  a  grin.  "  I  never  had  more'n 
ten  shillin's  at  one  time  in  my  life,  an'  I've  got  a 
purty  strong  grip  on  my  rifle  an'  the  clothes  that  I 
hev  on." 

"  I  think  we'd  better  go  ashore  an'  do  a  little 
236 


NEW  ORLEANS 

scoutin',"  said  Tom  Ross.  "  It's  always  well  to 
know  the  groun'  on  which  you're  goin'  to  act." 

"  No  doubt  of  it,  Tom,"  said  Henry,  "  and  we'll 
all  go  together." 

They  had  a  little  money  of  English  coinage  which 
was  taken  readily  in  cosmopolitan  New  Orleans,  and 
with  two  shillings  they  hired  a  levee  watchman,  whom 
they  judged  they  could  trust,  to  look  after  "  The 
Galleon."  Then,  rifle  on  shoulder,  they  entered  the 
fortified  city  by  the  gate  called  Chemin  des  Tchoup- 
itoulas.  Spain,  officially  at  least,  was  the  friend  of 
the  colonies  and  the  enemy  of  England,  and  the 
sentinels  at  the  gate  readily  passed  them  after  a  few 
questions. 

Here  they  asked  again  for  the  Governor  General, 
Bernardo  Galvez,  and  the  statement  of  Lieutenant 
Diego  Bernal  that  he  could  not  be  seen  was  con 
firmed.  He  had  arrived  only  a  few  hours  before 
from  a  two  days1  expedition  down  the  river,  and  was; 
now  immersed  in  important  papers  that  had  awaited 
his  coming. 

They  saw  the  Governor  General's  house,  a  one- 
story  building  fronting  the  river  with  a  gallery  on 
one  side,  gardens  on  the  other,  and  kitchen  and  out 
buildings  behind.  They  looked  longingly  at  it,  as 
they  desired  very  much  to  see  Bernardo  Galvez  at 
once.  But  presently  they  passed  on  into  the  Place 
d'Armes,  a  wide  open  space  used  as  a  review  ground. 
At  the  very  moment  they  entered  it  a  company  of 
Spanish  soldiers  were  going  through  their  evolutions, 
and,  after  the  fashion  of  to-day,  children  and  their 

237 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

dark-faced  nurses  were  watching  them.  The  five 
did  not  think  much  of  the  soldiers,  who  seemed  to 
them  to  be  dwarfed  and  without  zeal. 

"  Ef  ever  Kentucky  comes  down  the  long  river," 
said  Shif'less  Sol,  "  it  will  take  bigger  men  than 
these  to  hold  her  back." 

Paul's  gaze  wandered  from  the  soldiers,  and  he 
saw  in  a  corner  of  the  Place  d'Armes  a  great  wooden 
gallows  that  made  him  shudder.  It  was  a  gallows 
very  often  used,  too,  and  any  one  could  have  pointed 
out  to  Paul  the  spot  in  the  middle  of  the  Place 
d'Armes  where  five  gallant  French  gentlemen, 
among  the  best  citizens  of  New  Orleans,  had  been 
shot  not  long  before  for  planning  to  throw  off  the 
rule  of  Spain  and  make  Louisiana  a  free  republic. 

They  strolled  on,  still  filled  with  curiosity  and 
gratifying  it.  They  saw  many  buildings  that  sur 
passed  anything  hitherto  in  their  experience,  the 
brick  parish  church,  on  the  site  of  which  the  Cathe 
dral  of  St.  Louis  was  afterwards  built,  the  arsenal, 
the  jail,  and  the  house  of  the  Capuchins,  who  had 
lately  triumphed  over  the  Jesuits.  The  largest 
building  of  all  that  they  saw  was  the  convent  of  the 
Ursuline  Nuns,  standing  in  the  city  square  on  the 
river  front,  and  this  was,  in  fact,  the  largest  build 
ing  in  New  Orleans. 

While  there  were  many  houses  of  brick,  the 
cheaper  were  of  cypress  wood,  and  the  sidewalks 
were  only  four  or  five  feet  wide,  with  a  wooden 
drain  for  a  gutter.  There  was  no  paving  of  the 
streets,  which,  now  deep  in  dust,  would  turn  to  quag- 

238 


NEW  ORLEANS 

mires  when  the  rain  came.  At  long  intervals  were 
wooden  posts  with  projecting  arms  from  which  hung 
oil  lamps,  to  be  lighted  when  nightfall  came. 

Long  Jim  uttered  an  exclamation  of  disgust, 
and  gripped  his  nose  firmly  between  the  thumb  and 
forefinger  of  his  right  hand. 

"  I  never  smelt  sech  smells  afore  in  all  my  life," 
he  said,  pointing  to  the  heaps  of  garbage  scattered 
about.  "  A  big  town  like  this  here  is  pow'ful  inter- 
estin',  but  it  ain't  clean.  Paul,  remember  them  great 
forests  up  thar  in  Kentucky  an'  across  the  Ohio ! 
Remember  how  clean  an'  nice  the  ground  is !  Re 
member  all  them  big,  fine,  friendly  trees,  millions 
an1  millions  uv  'em !  Remember  all  them  nice  little 
springs  uv  clean,  cold  water,  clear  enough  to  be 
lookin'  glasses,  one,  an'  sometimes  more,  every  three 
or  four  hundred  yards !  Remember  all  them  nice 
smells  uv  the  wild  flowers,  an'  the  trees,  an'  the 
grass,  an'  me  settin'  at  the  foot  uv  the  biggest  tree 
uv  'em  all,  cookin'  on  a  roarin'  fire,  fat,  juicy  buf- 
faler  an'  deer  steaks  fur  you  fellers !  " 

"  I  remember,"  replied  Paul  smiling.  "  I  remem 
ber  it  all,  and  I  do  believe,  Jim,  that  you  are  home 
sick  for  the  woods." 

"  Not  homesick  eggzackly,  but  I  jest  want  to  say 
that  a  big  town  like  this  kin  be  mighty  interestin', 
but  after  I've  seed  it,  give  me  back  our  own  clean 
woods." 

"  I  believe  I  agree  with  you,  Jim,"  said  Paul 
thoughtfully. 

They  strolled  back  into  the  Place  d'Armes,  where 
239 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

the  review  was  still  in  progress,  and  where  more  peo 
ple  were  gathering.  The  women  were  bare-headed, 
and  generally  wore  a  short  round  skirt,  and  long 
basque  like  overgarments,  the  two  invariably  of  dif 
ferent,  but  bright,  colors.  All  of  them  wore  much 
ribbon  and  jewelry,  but,  as  a  rule,  they  were  too 
dark  of  countenance  to  suit  the  ideas  of  the  five  con 
cerning  feminine  beauty.  At  rare  intervals,  how 
ever,  they  saw  a  girl  with  light  hair  and  light  eyes 
and  light  complexion,  and  all  these  were  really  hand 
some. 

"  Those,  I  imagine,  are  French, "  said  Paul. 
"  We've  got  into  the  habit  of  thinking  of  the  French 
as  always  dark,  but  many  of  them  are  fair.  I've 
heard  our  school  teacher,  Mr.  Pennypacker,  say  so 
often,  and  he  ought  to  know.  For  the  matter  of 
that,  some  of  the  Spaniards  are  light,  too." 

"  Yes,  thar's  Alvarez,"  said  Shif'less  Sol.  "  He's 
light,  an'  that's  one  reason  why  I  mistrusted  him  the 
first  time  I  saw  him.  It  looks  more  nateral  fur  a 
Spaniard  to  be  dark." 

As  they  stood  in  the  Place  d'Armes  looking  at 
the  sights,  the  five  themselves  began  to  attract  much 
attention.  Their  height  and  strength,  their  long, 
slender  barreled  rifles,  and  their  deerskin  attire  made 
them  highly  picturesque  figures.  The  motley  popu 
lation  of  New  Orleans  was  used  to  all  kinds  of  people, 
armed  or  unarmed,  but  generally  armed.  These, 
however,  were  different.  They  bore  themselves  with 
dignity,  there  was  about  them  an  air  of  absolute 
simplicity  and  honesty,  and  they  kept  close  together 

240 


NEW  ORLEANS 

in  a  manner  that  indicated  a  faithful  brotherhood, 
closer  even  than  the  brotherhood  of  blood.  They 
seemed  to  come  from  another  world  than  that  which 
furnished  so  many  desperate  adventurers  and  former 
galley  slaves  to  New  Orleans. 

Henry  noticed  the  attention  that  they  were  attract 
ing,  and  he  did  not  like  it 

"  Perhaps,  boys,  we'd  better  go  back  to  our  boat,'* 
he  said. 

But  before  any  one  could  answer  he  was  tapped 
lightly  on  the  arm  and,  turning  about,  he  saw  the 
small,  trim  figure  of  Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal,  who 
had  been  the  first  man  to  greet  them  as  they  entered 
New  Orleans. 

"  We  met  on  the  water,  as  you  know,"  said  the 
little  lieutenant,  smiling  in  a  friendly  manner. 
"  My  name  is  Bernal,  Diego  Bernal,  and  I  am  a 
lieutenant  in  the  service  of  our  most  excellent  Gov 
ernor  General,  Bernardo  Galvez." 

His  manner  was  polite,  and  Henry  met  him  half 
way.  He  had  nothing  to  conceal,  and  he  gave  him 
the  names  of  his  comrades  and  himself.  Lieutenant 
Bernal  all  the  time  was  regarding  them  shrewdly. 

u  It  is  evident  that  you  are  mighty  men  despite 
the  youth  of  some  of  you,"  he  said,  "  and  I  begin 
to  suspect  it  from  other  facts  also." 

"  What  other  facts?  "  asked  Henry. 

"  Now,  there  is  the  matter  of  your  boat,"  replied 
the  lieutenant  jauntily.  "  I  had  a  belief,  wrong  no 
doubt,  that  she  was  of  Spanish  build.  I  also  seemed 
to  have  a  recollection,  wrong,  too,  no  doubt,  that  I 

241 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

had  once  seen  Francisco  Alvarez,  the  chief  of  our 
captains,  aboard  that  boat  and  bearing  himself  in  a 
manner  that  indicated  ownership.  I  am  wrong,  no 
doubt.  My  impressions  are  often  false  and  my  mem 
ory  always  weak.  Gladly  would  I  stand  correction. 
Gladly  would  I  be  convinced  that  I  am  misled  by 
some  fancied  resemblance." 

"  Them's  pow'ful  big  words,"  said  Long  Jim. 

Henry,  who  was  always  the  leader  of  the  five  when 
they  were  together,  looked  into  the  eyes  of  Diego 
Bernal,  and  he  seemed  to  see  there  the  curious  con 
traction  that  is  called  a  wink.  He  gave  judgment  at 
once  concerning  Diego  Bernal. 

"  I  take  it,"  he  said  by  way  of  reply,  "  that  you 
are  no  great  friend  of  the  captain,  Francisco  Alva 
rez?" 

"  If  a  higher  officer  rebukes  you  unjustly  and  sneers 
at  a  commander  whom  you  respect  and  like,  is  it  cal 
culated  to  promote  friendship?  " 

The  gaze  of  the  two  met  again,  and  Henry  un 
derstood. 

"  I  see  what  your  choice  would  be  if  you  were  com 
pelled  to  choose  between  Bernardo  Galvez  and  Fran 
cisco  Alvarez,"  he  said.  "  It  may  be  that  you  will 
have  to  make  such  a  choice,  and  I  will  tell  you,  too, 
that  the  boat  did  belong  to  the  Captain  Alvarez. 
We  took  it  from  him  because,  first,  he  made  an  out 
rageous  attack  upon  us;  secondly,  he  is  plotting  to 
set  all  the  Indian  tribes  upon  us  in  Kentucky,  aided 
with  Spanish  soldiers  and  Spanish  guns,  and,  thirdly, 
he  hopes  to  become  Governor  General  of  Louisiana, 

242 


NEW  ORLEANS 

and  commit  Spain  to  an  alliance  with  England  in  the 
war  upon  the  Americans." 

Henry  spoke  boldly  and  earnestly,  and  the  others 
nodded  assent. 

Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal,  a  trim,  dandified  little 
man,  drew  forth  from  the  pocket  of  his  waistcoat 
a  small  gold  snuff  box  and  delicately  took  a  pinch 
of  snuff,  a  habit  to  which  the  five  were  unaccustomed. 

"  Speak  it  low,  my  friend,"  he  said  deliberately. 
"  All  this,  if  it  be  true,  is  great  news,  and  you  do 
right  in  coming  to  New  Orleans  to  see  Bernardo 
Galvez.  Can  you  prove  it  when  you  see  the  Gov 
ernor  General?  " 

"  We  can  give  proofs,"  replied  Henry  guardedly. 

"  It  is  well,  and  I  am  pleased  that  I  have  met  you. 
Know  then  that  I  am  the  enemy  of  Francisco  Al 
varez,  and  that  I  may  aid  you.  Who  can  tell?  It 
is  well  for  strangers  to  have  friends  in  New  Orleans. 
I  have  an  impression  that  I  have  some  influence.  I 
am  usually  wrong  and  my  memory  is  always  weak, 
but  this  particular  impression  persists,  nevertheless." 

Long  Jim  opened  his  mouth  in  wonder. 

"  'Pears  strange  to  me,"  he  said,  "  that  a  furrin 
man  kin  pick  more  big  words  out  uv  our  language, 
an*  rope  'em  together  than  we  kin." 

Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal  smiled.     He  was  pleased. 

u  I  learned  English  when  I  was  a  boy,"  he  said, 
"  and  now  it  serves  me  well.  I  would  hear  more  of 
your  news,  gentlemen,  but  for  the  present  I  wish  to 
offer  you  refreshments.  Come  with  me,  if  you 
please." 

243 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

He  led  the  way  into  a  low  building  of  brick,  an 
inn  fashioned  after  the  manner  of  those  in  France. 
They  entered  the  public  room,  which  was  large  and 
square,  with  a  fairly  clean,  sanded  floor,  and  many 
men  about  drinking  liquors  unknown  to  the  five. 

They  took  seats  at  a  table  in  a  rather  retired 
corner,  and  gazed  with  interest  at  the  variegated 
crowd.  Many  of  the  men  wore  great,  gold  rings  in 
their  ears,  something  entirely  new  to  the  five,  and 
others  were  tattooed  in  strange  designs.  They  drank 
deep  and  swore  much  and  loudly  in  strange  tongues. 
Also,  they  smoked  cigarros,  cigarritos,  and  pipes, 
and  there  was  scarcely  one  present  who  did  not  have 
either  knife  or  pistol  or  both  at  belt. 

"  Undoubtedly  there  is  more  than  one  pirate  from 
the  Gulf  or  the  Caribbean  among  them,"  said  Lieu 
tenant  Bernal,  "  but  the  pirates  perhaps  are  not  the 
worst.  Louisiana  and  New  Orleans  can  supply 
many  a  desperate  villain  of  their  own." 

"  Sent  by  Europe !  "  said  Paul. 

"  Truly  so.  An  old  country  always  seeks  to  dis 
gorge  such  people  upon  a  new  one.  But  Monsieur 
Gilibert,  the  proprietor  of  this  inn,  on  the  whole, 
maintains  good  order  among  his  customers.  As  you 
can  now  see,  Monsieur  Gilibert  is  a  man  of  parts." 

The  proprietor,  wearing  a  cook's  cap  and  white 
apron,  emerged  that  moment  from  his  kitchen.  He 
was  not  above  supervising,  and  even  doing  his  own 
cooking,  and,  because  of  it,  his  inn  had  acquired  a 
great  reputation  for  excellence  of  food,  as  well  as 
drink. 

244 


NEW  ORLEANS 

Many  of  the  French  in  New  Orleans  were  Pro- 
vengals,  but  Monsieur  Gilibert  was  from  the  North 
of  France,  a  huge,  flaxen-haired  man  with  a  large 
square  chin,  and  a  fearless  countenance.  His  blue 
eye  roved  around  the  room  and  lighted  upon  the  five 
and  their  host,  Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal,  at  the  se 
cluded  table.  He  noted  that  every  one  of  the  five 
had  a  long  rifle  leaning  by  his  chair,  and  he  shrewdly 
surmised  that  they  were  from  the  wilderness  of  the 
far  North. 

Monsieur  Francois  Eugene  Gilibert  did  not  love 
the  Spanish,  although  he  did  like  Lieutenant  Diego 
Bernal,  who  was  a  Catalan  and  therefore,  in  the  opin 
ion  of  Monsieur  Gilibert,  almost  a  Frenchman, 
Neither  did  he  like  the  passing  of  New  Orleans  from 
the  French  into  the  hands  of  the  Spanish,  although 
trade  was  as  good  as  ever  at  his  Inn  of  Henri  Quatre, 
despite  the  narrow  Spanish  rule,  which  was  not  to 
his  taste.  It  was  perhaps  one  half  his  love  of  free 
dom  and  one-half  his  objection  to  the  rule  of  Spain 
that  made  him  look  with  friendly  eyes  upon  any  far 
wanderers  from  Kaintock. 

He  strolled  to  the  table  and  greeted  Lieutenant 
Bernal,  who  returned  his  greeting  pleasantly  and 
gave  the  names  of  the  five. 

"  They  come  from  Kaintock,"  said  the  lieutenant, 
significantly,  "  and  they  do  not  like  Francisco  Al 


varez." 


u  Ah,"  said  Monsieur  Gilibert,  who  also  spoke 
English.  "  I  do  not  love  that  man  Alvarez.  He 
is  the  enemy  of  the  French." 

245 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  Not  more  than  he  is  of  Kaintock,"  said  the 
lieutenant.  Then  he  turned  to  the  five  and  said: 

"  I  did  not  bring  you  here  merely  to  hear  words. 
I  wish  something  to  drink  for  my  friends,  kind  Mon 
sieur  Gilibert.  The  inn  has  rum  of  both  New  Eng 
land  and  Barbadoes,  Spanish  and  French  wines. 
Now  what  shall  it  be?  " 

He  turned  to  the  five,  and  as  they  answered,  one 
by  one,  the  eyes  of  the  young  Spanish  lieutenant 
opened  wider  and  wider  in  astonishment.  They  had 
never  tasted  rum  and  were  quite  sure  they  would  not 
care  for  it.  Wine  they  knew  almost  as  little  about, 
using  that  they  had  found  on  "  The  Galleon  "  chiefly 
as  a  medicine,  and  they  ended,  one  and  all,  by  choos 
ing  a  mild  West  Indian  drink,  a  kind  of  orange 
water.  Lieutenant  Bernal  reached  over  and  with 
his  two  hands  felt  gingerly  of  Henry's  mighty  right 
arm. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me,"  he  said,  "  that  such 
a  muscle  and  such  a  body  have  been  built  up  and 
nourished  by  things  as  mild  as  orange  water?  " 

"  Not  orange  water,  but  plain  water,"  replied 
Henry  laughing.  "  But  in  Maryland  where  I  was 
born,  and  in  Kentucky,  where  I've  been  growing  up, 
the  water  is  very  good,  clear,  pure,  and  cold." 

"  Will  you  kindly  stand  up  a  moment?  "  said  the 
lieutenant. 

Henry  promptly  stood  up  and  then  Lieutenant 
Diego  Bernal,  standing  by  the  side  of  him,  was  about 
a  head  the  shorter.  Then  the  young  lieutenant  made 
a  wry  face. 

246 


NEW  ORLEANS 

"  And  I  have  drunk  wine  all  my  life,"  he  said 
plaintively,  "  and  he  has  drunk  only  water!  " 

The  two  sat  down  again,  and  the  others  laughed. 
Their  talk  and  actions  had  attracted  the  attention  of 
a  number  in  the  room,  and  a  large  man  with  great 
gold  bands  in  his  ears,  rose  and  sauntered  over  to 
ward  them.  He  was  a  dark  fellow,  evidently  a  West 
Indian  Spaniard  with  a  dash  of  Carib. 

"  I  have  drunk  rum  and  wine  and  all  other  liquors 
all  my  life,"  he  said,  "  but  I  am  neither  little  nor 
weak." 

His  tone  was  truculent,  and  his  flushed  face  indi 
cated  that  he  had  already  taken  too  much. 

"  Go  away,  Menocal,"  said  Monsieur  Gilibert, 
in  a  voice  half  soothing,  half  warning.  "  I  do  not 
wish  my  guests  to  be  annoyed." 

But  Menocal  would  not  turn  away.  He  put  his 
hand  upon  Henry's  shoulder. 

'  This  is  a  great  youth,"  he  said.  4  They  grow 
large  in  the  new  country  to  the  north  that  they  call 
Kaintock,  but  I,  Alonzo  Menocal  of  Santo  Domingo, 
am  the  stronger.  Stand  up,  thou  youth  of  Kaintock, 
by  the  side  of  me !  " 

Henry  promptly  stood  up  again,  and  the  young 
giant  towered  above  Alonzo  Menocal  of  Santo  Do 
mingo,  tall  though  the  West  Indian  was.  Moreover 
he  had  greater  breadth  of  shoulder  and  a  deeper 
chest. 

"Ha,  thou  Kaintock!"  exclaimed  Menocal, 
"  thou  art  the  taller  and  the  larger,  but  I  am  the 
stronger,  as  I  shall  quickly  prove  1" 

247 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

The  size  of  Henry  acted  as  an  irritant  upon  Meno- 
cal,  already  flushed  with  intoxicants,  and  he  seized 
the  youth  by  the  waist  in  an  attempt  to  hurl  him  to 
the  floor  and  thus  prove  his  superior  strength. 
Henry,  with  an  instant,  powerful  effort,  threw  off 
the  encircling  arms,  seized  the  West  Indian  by  both 
shoulders,  and  made  use  of  a  trick  that  Shif'less  Sol 
had  taught  him. 

He  thrust  the  man  backward  with  a  mighty  shove, 
put  out  his  foot,  and  Menocal  went  over  it.  But  the 
West  Indian  did  not  touch  the  floor.  Henry  caught 
him  by  the  neck  and  waist,  and,  with  a  great  heave, 
lifted  him  high  above  his  head.  He  held  him  there 
a  moment,  and  then  said  gravely  to  Monsieur  Fran- 
gois  Eugene  Gilibert : 

"  Shall  I  cast  him  through  yonder  window,  or  put 
him  back  in  the  chair  in  which  he  was  sitting  before 
he  came  to  us  uninvited?  " 

Monsieur  Gilibert  looked  longingly  at  the  window 
—  he  was  a  man  of  strength  and  dexterity  himself  — 
and  he  admired  great  strength  and  great  dexterity  in 
others  —  but  motives  of  prudence  and  humanity  pre 
vailed. 

"  Put  him  back  in  his  chair,"  he  said. 

Henry  walked  all  the  way  across  the  room  and 
gently  put  the  half-stunned  man  in  a  sitting  position 
in  his  chair.  A  roar  of  applause  shook  the  room  at 
this  remarkable  performance,  and  Monsieur  Gilibert 
was  not  the  slackest  among  those  who  cheered. 
Never  before  had  the  Inn  of  Henri  Quatre  witnessed 
such  an  extraordinary  feat  of  strength.  Lieutenant 

248 


NEW  ORLEANS 

Diego  Bernal  sprang  to  his  feet  and  again  seized 
Henry's  right  hand  in  both  of  his. 

"  Serior,"  he  exclaimed,  "  it  is  an  honor  to  me  to 
deem  myself  your  friend!  " 

Alonzo  Menocal  arose  from  his  chair  and  came 
across  the  room.  Paul's  hand  moved  to  the  butt  of 
the  pistol  in  his  belt,  but  the  intentions  of  the  West 
Indian  were  not  hostile. 

"  Thou  hast  conquered,"  he  said  to  Henry  in  his 
queer  thee-  and  thou-English.  "  Thou  art  not  only 
the  taller  and  the  larger,  but  also  the  stronger  and  the 
more  skillful.  It  is  the  first  time  that  Alonzo  Meno 
cal  was  ever  picked  up,  carried  across  a  room,  and 
put  down  in  his  chair,  as  a  mother  puts  her  baby 
to  bed." 

He  put  out  his  hand  in  quite  an  American  fashion, 
and  Henry  shook  it,  glad  that  the  man  was  good-na 
tured.  More  applause  greeted  this  act  of  friendship 
by  the  two  and,  taking  advantage  of  it,  the  five  went 
out,  accompanied  by  Lieutenant  Bernal,  all  in  great 
good  humor. 

Night  was  coming  on,  and  they  felt  that  it  was  time 
to  return  to  "  The  Galleon."  A  man  was  already 
lighting  the  smoking  oil  lamps  that  hung  from  the 
wooden  arms  of  the  posts,  and  from  one  of  the  forts 
a  sentinel  was  calling  the  hour. 

New  Orleans  looked  better  under  the  softening 
hue  of  the  twilight.  Many  of  the  asperities  that  go 
as  a  matter  of  course  with  newness  were  hidden,  but 
the  smells  remained. 

;<  Wish  I  could  sleep  in  the  woods  to-night,  with 
249 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

nuthin'  but  trees  runnin'  away  at  least  ten  miles  in 
every  direction,"  said  Long  Jim. 

"  It  will  be  all  right  in  our  boat  on  the  river,"  said 
Paul. 

"  I  think  I  shall  go  with  you  as  far  as  your  boat," 
said  Lieutenant  Bernal. 

"  You're  welcome.  Come  on,"  said  Henry,  con 
fident  of  his  friendship. 

The  five  and  the  lieutenant  walked  swiftly  to 
ward  the  Mississippi. 


CHAPTER  XV 

BEFORE  BERNARDO  GALVEZ 

IT  took  only  a  few  minutes  to  reach  the  banks  of 
the  stream,  and  they  saw  at  once  that  an  event 
was  occurring.  New  Orleans  could  rejoice,  if 
she  choose,  in  honor  of  an  important  arrival. 

A  fleet  of  a  dozen  large  boats  swung  from  the  mid 
dle  of  the  stream  and  made  for  the  levee.  In  the 
boats  were  men  in  uniform. 

"  I  have  an  impression,  though  my  impressions 
are  often  wrong  and  my  memory  always  weak,  that 
yonder  cavalier  who  sits  haughtily  in  the  boat  as  if 
he  were  sole  proprietor  of  the  Mississippi,  is  your 
good  friend,  Don  Francisco  Alvarez,"  said  Lieuten 
ant  Bernal  in  his  mincing  way. 

They  had  all  recognized  Alvarez,  and  they  ex 
pected  quick  trouble.  As  it  was  bound  to  come  they 
had  no  objection  to  its  coming  at  once.  The  boat  of 
Alvarez  made  the  landing  and  as  he  sprang  out  he 
was  followed  by  Braxton  Wyatt,  also  in  the  uniform 
of  a  Spanish  officer.  The  eyes  of  the  Captain  in 
stantly  caught  sight  of  "  The  Galleon,"  then  of  the 
five,  and  then  of  Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal  standing 
near  the  Americans. 

"  Men,"  he  cried  to  some  of  his  soldiers  who  had 
251 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

landed.  "  Seize  this  boat  at  once !  It  is  my  property, 
taken  from  me  by  these  American  thieves !  " 

The  soldiers  moved  to  obey,  but  the  little  Catalan, 
Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal  stepped  forward.  Never 
was  he  more  mincing,  and  it  is  likely  that  he  never 
felt  more  satisfaction  than  he  did  now  at  the  role 
that  he  was  about  to  play. 

"  Gently !  Gently !  my  good  captain,"  he  said. 
"  I  am  a  port  officer  and  boats  cannot  be  seized  at  will 
in  His  Most  Catholic  Majesty's  city  of  New  Or 
leans." 

His  manner  stung  Alvarez,  who  replied  hotly : 

"  I  repeat,  it  is  my  boat !  It  was  stolen  from  me 
by  these  thieves  from  Kaintock!  " 

"  But  that  must  be  proved,"  and  the  lieutenant's 
voice  was  very  soft  and  silky.  "  The  law  is  still  ad 
ministered  in  the  City  of  New  Orleans.  And  let  me 
assure  you,  my  good  captain,  that  the  matter  of  the 
boat  is  a  trifle.  What  really  concerns  is  your  delay 
in  coming  to  New  Orleans  with  your  American 
captives,  whom  you  held  at  your  place  of  Beaulieu. 
His  Excellency,  the  Governor  General,  Don  Ber 
nardo  Galvez,  is  very  much  afraid  that  you  have  in 
volved  Spain  in  serious  difficulties  with  a  friendly 
people." 

Alvarez  looked  fiercely  at  Bernal.  How  much  did 
this  man  know?  But  the  little  lieutenant  merely 
stroked  his  mustache,  and  his  face  was  expressionless. 

"  If  explanations  are  due,"  said  Alvarez,  "  I  shall 
make  them  to  Don  Bernardo." 

"  Very  good !  very  good  1  "  murmured  the  lieu- 
252 


BEFORE  BERNARDO  GALVE2 

tenant.  "  I  am  quite  sure  that  Don  Bernardo  will 
be  greatly  pleased." 

Alvarez  turned  angrily,  gave  some  orders  to  his 
men,  and  then  stalked  away  followed  by  Wyatt  and 
two  others.  The  renegade  had  never  spoken  a  word, 
but  he  and  the  five  had  exchanged  some  threatening 
glances. 

Alvarez  and  Bernal  had  spoken  in  Spanish,  but 
Henry  and  the  others  surmised  the  import  of  their 
words.  They  knew,  too,  by  the  manner  of  Alvarez 
that  the  little  triumph  had  been  with  Bernal. 

"  He  wanted  the  boat,  did  he  not?  "  said  Henry. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  lieutenant,  "  but  you  can  sleep 
in  it  to-night.  I  warn  you,  however,  to  see  Bernardo 
Galvez  in  the  morning  as  soon  as  you  can.  After  all, 
you  are  Americans  and  foreigners,  while  Alvarez  is  a 
Spaniard  and  one  of  us.  You  will  have  much  to 
overcome." 

They  perceived  the  truth  of  his  suggestion  and 
thanked  him.  He  gave  them  a  friendly  good  night 
and  went  away.  The  five  went  on  board  u  The 
Galleon  "  and  prepared  for  sleep,  having  dismissed 
their  watchman  with  ample  pay. 

As  the  boat  was  securely  tied  there  was  no  need  to 
keep  a  watch  and  all  prepared  for  the  night.  But 
they  did  not  go  to  sleep  yet,  although  they  did  not 
talk,  every  one  being  occupied  with  his  own  thoughts. 

Paul  sat  at  the  stern  of  the  boat  leaning  against 
the  side,  and  his  eyes  were  on  New  Orleans,  where  he 
saw  the  formless  shapes  of  buildings  and  twinkling 
lights  here  and  there.  The  city,  in  a  way,  attracted 

253 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

him  and,  in  another  way,  it  repelled  him.  It  inter 
ested  him,  but  he  had  no  desire  to  live  there.  It  was 
a  port,  a  gate,  as  it  were,  opening  into  the  vast  old 
world,  to  which  belonged  the  centuries,  and  of  which 
he  had  read  and  thought  so  much,  but  the  single  taste 
of  it  turned  Paul's  heart  with  a  stronger  affection 
than  ever  toward  the  New  World  to  which  he  be 
longed.  The  great  forests  of  the  north  seemed  clean 
and  fresh  to  him  as  they  had  seemed  to  Jim.  There, 
at  least,  a  man  could  know  who  were  his  friends  and 
who  were  his  enemies. 

He  saw  boats  passing  on  the  turbid,  brown  current 
of  the  Mississippi  and  he  heard  snatches  of  strange, 
foreign  songs.  The  night  had  fully  come  and  heavy 
darkness  hung  over  land  and  water,  but  New  Orleans 
did  not  sleep.  The  smugglers,  the  adventurers,  the 
former  galley  slaves,  the  riff-raff  of  Europe,  and  the 
mixed  bloods  of  the  West  Indies  were  abroad  in  pur 
suit  of  either  business  or  pleasure,  each  equally  fa 
vored  by  the  dusk. 

Shif'less  Sol  and  Long  Jim  were  already  asleep, 
but  Paul  was  restless  and  slumber  would  not  come. 
Henry,  too,  was  wakeful,  and  Paul  at  last  suggested 
that  they  walk  in  the  city.  Henry  accepted,  and  with 
a  word  to  Tom  Ross  they  sprang  ashore. 

New  Orleans  was  even  more  interesting  to  them 
by  night  than  by  day,  as  it  had  now  a  peculiarly  un 
canny  look  added  to  its  other  qualities.  The  night 
was  close,  heavy,  and  warm,  and  the  brown  current 
of  the  river  showed  but  dismally  through  it.  Lights 
were  still  moving  on  the  Mississippi,  but  the  boats 

254 


BEFORE  BERNARDO  GALVEZ 

that  bore  them  were  invisible.  From  the  side  of  the 
river  pleasant  odors  came  to  their  nostrils,  the  clean, 
sweet  scents  of  vast,  undefiled  woods  and  prairies, 
the  flavor  of  a  wind  blowing  over  wild  flowers,  but 
from  the  side  of  the  city  the  smells  were  as  var 
iegated  and  repellent  as  ever. 

Nevertheless  the  two  youths  turned  into  the  city, 
lit  faintly  by  the  flaring  oil  lanterns,  and  walked 
along  through  one  street  and  another  seeing  what 
they  could  see.  The  night  life  was  active  and  much 
of  it  was  sodden.  Oaths  played  a  great  part  in  the 
talk  they  heard  and  intoxication  was  a  prevalent  note. 
Sounds  of  strife,  either  without  or  within,  arose  now 
and  then,  but  Henry  and  Paul,  wishing  to  keep  clear 
of  all  trouble,  never  stayed  to  see  the  result.  They 
more  than  suspected  that  knives  shone  too  often  in 
these  orgies. 

They  stopped  a  few  moments  by  the  old 
church  in  front  of  the  Place  d'Armes.  The  church 
was  flanked  on  one  side  by  a  low  brick  building,  very 
white  with  roof  of  red  and  yellow  tiles,  while  to  the 
left  of  the  church  stood  a  villa-like  house  half  hidden 
among  the  trees.  They  admired  the  effect  of  the 
moonlight  on  the  tiles,  and  then,  passing  through  the 
wooden  fence  that  enclosed  it,  they  entered  the  de 
serted  Place  d'Armes. 

"  I  can  breathe  better  here,"  said  Henry.  "  I 
know  that  I  shall  never  be  fond  of  towns." 

But  the  imaginative  Paul  shuddered. 

"Look,"  he  said,  "  the  gallows!" 

He  pointed  to  the  huge  gallows  that  stood  in  the 
255 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Place  d'Armes,  ready  for  frequent  use.  The  moon 
light  had  now  grown  dim.  In  its  wavering  beams 
the  gallows  rose  to  immense  proportions  and  seemed 
also  to  take  on  the  semblance  of  life.  It  reached  out 
its  long  wooden  arm  as  if  to  grasp  Paul  and  with 
another  shudder  he  turned  his  back  to  it. 

The  two  continued  down  one  side  of  the  Place 
d'Armes  in  the  shade  of  magnolias  and  cypresses  that 
drooped  over  the  wooden  fence.  As  they  passed  they 
heard  the  sound  of  a  shot. 

u  Somebody  in  the  city  fighting  with  a  rifle  or  pis 
tol  instead  of  a  knife,"  said  Paul. 

But  Henry  stood  motionless  and  silent  for  a  mo 
ment  or  two.  He  had  distinctly  felt  the  rush  of  air 
on  his  face  as  a  bullet  passed  by.  He  was  seeking 
to  see  whence  the  shot  had  come  and  he  thought  he 
caught  a  glimpse  of  a  figure  among  the  cypresses. 

"  No,  Paul,"  he  exclaimed,  "  that  shot  was  aimed 
at  me !  " 

He  sprang  over  the  wooden  fence  and  was  fol 
lowed  by  Paul.  They  searched  diligently  among 
the  trees  but  found  nothing.  Then  they  looked  at 
each  other,  and  each  read  the  same  opinion  in  the 
other's  eyes. 

"  It  was  either  Braxton  Wyatt  or  somebody  else 
in  the  service  of  Alvarez,"  said  Henry. 

"  Yes,"  said  Paul,  nodding  assent,  "  and  I  think 
that  *  The  Galleon  '  is  a  much  safer  place  for  us  at 
night  than  the  City  of  New  Orleans." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  Henry,  "  and  it  is  not  worth 
while  for  us  to  make  a  complaint  about  being  shot 

256 


BEFORE  BERNARDO  GALVEZ 

at.  We  cannot  prove  anything,  and  New  Orleans  is 
too  turbulent  a  place  to  pay  attention  to  a  stray  rifle 
or  pistol  shot  at  night." 

They  were  back  at  the  boat  in  a  few  minutes. 
Shif'less  Sol  and  Long  Jim  still  slept  soundly,  but 
Tom  Ross  was  awake.  They  told  him  briefly  what 
had  occurred,  and  Tom  shook  his  head  sagely. 

"  Better  stay  on  the  boat  ez  long  ez  we  kin  keep 
it,"  he  said.  "  Ez  fur  me,  I'd  rather  be  shot  at  by 
Injuns  in  the  woods  uv  Kentucky  than  be  hevin'  white 
men  drawin'  beads  on  me  here  in  a  town.  It  looks 
more  nateral.  Uv  course  it  wuz  Braxton  Wyatt  or 
some  other  tool  uv  that  wicked  Spaniard,  Alvarez." 

Early  the  next  morning  the  five,  after  hiring  the 
same  watchman  to  care  again  for  their  boat,  went  to 
the  house  of  the  Governor  General,  the  large,  low 
building  at  the  corner  of  Toulouse  Street  and  Rue 
de  la  Levee.  Early  as  they  were  they  were  not  the 
first  to  arrive. 

A  tall  man,  neatly  dressed  in  a  fine  brown  suit  with 
fine,  snow-white,  puffed  linen,  silver-buckled  shoes, 
and  hair,  tied  in  a  powdered  queue,  stood  on  the  ver 
anda.  He  had  a  frank,  open  face,  and  the  five  knew 
at  once  that  he  was  an  American.  Had  not  his  ap 
pearance  proclaimed  his  nationality,  his  speech  wrould 
have  done  it  for  him. 

"  Good  morning,"  he  exclaimed,  cheerily,  "  you 
are  the  gentlemen  from  Kentucky  who  arrived  yes 
terday?  Yes,  you  must  be!  All  New  Orleans  has 
heard  of  the  feat  of  strength  and  dexterity,  per 
formed  by  one  of  you  last  night  in  Monsieur  Gili- 

257 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

bert's  Inn  of  Henri  Quatre!  And  he  who  did  ifc 
could  be  none  other  than  you,  my  friend !  " 

He  looked  fixedly  and  admiringly  at  Henry,  and 
the  youth  blushed  under  his  tan. 

44  It  was  merely  done  to  stop  an  annoyance,"  he 
said.  "  I  did  not  mean  to  make  any  display." 

The  prepossessing  stranger  laughed. 

"  Doubtless,"  he  said,  "  but  you  have  received  a 
great  advertisement,  nevertheless.  Some  rumor  con 
cerning  the  cause  of  your  visit  has  also  spread  in 
New  Orleans,  and  for  this  reason  I  am  here  to  meet 
you  at  the  door  of  the  Governor  General." 

The  five  looked  at  him  inquiringly.  He  smiled, 
and  they  liked  him  better  than  ever. 

"  I  don't  mean  to  make  a  mystery  of  anything,"  he 
said.  "  My  name  is  Pollock,  Oliver  Pollock." 

"  Ah,"  exclaimed  Paul,  his  face  alight,  "  you  are 
the  head  of  the  company  of  Philadelphia,  New  York 
and  Boston  merchants  that  is  sending  arms  from 
New  Orleans  up  the  Mississippi  and  Ohio  to  Pitts- 
burg,  where  they  are  landed  and  taken  across  the 
country  for  the  use  of  our  hard-pressed  brethren  in 
the  east !  " 

The  shrewd  merchant's  eyes  twinkled. 

"  I  see,  my  young  friend,"  he  said  to  Paul,  "  that 
you  are  alert,  even  if  you  have  just  come  out  of  the 
wilderness.  Yes,  I  am  that  man,  and  I  am  proud  to 
be  the  head  of  such  a  company.  I  tell  you,  too,  that 
you  have  come  at  the  right  time.  The  English,  as 
you  know,  are  forbidden  for  the  present  to  trade  at 
New  Orleans,  while  we  are  unrestricted.  But  Eng- 

258 


BEFORE  BERNARDO  GALVE2 

land  is  powerful,  far  more  powerful  than  Spain,  and 
she  is  pushing  hard  for  the  privilege.  If  she  gets  it 
we  shall  be  hit  in  a  vital  spot.  Moreover,  an  exceed 
ingly  strong  faction  here,  one  with  great  influence, 
is  striving  continually  to  help  England  and  to  crush 


us." 


"  Alvarez !  "  exclaimed  Henry  and  Paul  together. 

"  Yes,  Alvarez!  We  must  not  underrate  his 
strength  and  cunning,  but  if  he  is  engaged  in  plotting, 
in  actual  treason,  or  what  is  very  near  it,  your  coming 
may  help  us  to  prove  it  and  thus  strengthen  the  hand 
of  Bernardo  Galvez,  who  is  our  friend." 

"There  is  no  doubt  of  the  fact!"  said  Henry 
earnestly.  "  He  is  planning  to  make  himself  Gov 
ernor  General  in  place  of  Galvez !  " 

"  Ah,  but  to  prove  it !  to  prove  it !  You  are  strang 
ers  and  foreigners,  and  Alvarez  is  before  you  here. 
No,  don't  blame  yourselves,  you  could  not  help  it. 
But  he  is  the  commander  of  the  Spanish  forces  in 
Northern  Louisiana.  He  came,  summoned  urgently 
on  the  King's  business,  and  he  gained  access  to  Ber 
nardo  Galvez  last  night.  Oh,  he's  a  shrewd  man, 
and  a  cunning  one,  and  we  know  not  what  plausible 
tale  he  may  have  poured  out  to  the  Governor  Gen 
eral.  But  come,  the  sentinel  here  wishes  to  know 
our  business  and  I  shall  go  in  with  you,  if  I  may." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Henry.  "  We  thank  you  for 
your  aid." 

They  saw  in  a  moment  how  valuable  this  help 
could  be  as  Mr.  Pollock  spoke  rapidly  in  Spanish  to 
one  of  the  sentinels,  who  seemed  impressed,  and  who 

259 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

quickly  disappeared  within  the  house.  They  spent 
some  anxious  minutes  in  waiting,  but  the  sentinel 
returned  in  a  few  minutes  with  word  that  they  would 
be  received. 

"That  is  good,"  said  Mr.  Pollock  to  the  five. 
"  It  is  well  to  strike  before  the  blow  of  Alvarez  sinks 
in  too  deeply." 

They  entered  an  ante-chamber  furnished  with  a 
splendor  that  the  Kentuckians  had  never  seen  before. 
There  were  pictures  and  the  arms  of  Spain  upon  the 
walls,  and  rich  heavy  rugs  upon  the  floor.  The  sen 
tinel  said  something  in  Spanish  to  Mr.  Pollock  and 
the  merchant  laughed. 

"  He  makes  the  polite  request,"  said  Mr.  Pollock, 
"  that  you  leave  your  rifles  here.  Ah,  you  see  that 
the  fame  of  the  Kentucky  rifle  has  already  reached 
New  Orleans.  They  will  be  perfectly  safe,  I  assure 
you." 

The  five  leaned  their  rifles  in  a  row  against  the 
wall,  long,  slender-barreled  weapons,  which  were 
destined  to  make  one  day  an  unparalleled  record  be 
fore  this  very  city  of  New  Orleans. 

A  wide  door  was  thrown  open  and  an  attendant 
dressed  in  gorgeous  Spanish  livery  announced  their 
names  as  they  entered  a  large  room  furnished  with 
as  great  a  degree  of  state  as  could  be  reproduced  at 
that  time  in  New  Orleans.  An  armed  soldier  stood 
on  either  side  of  the  door,  and,  at  the  far  end  of  the 
room,  sitting  in  a  great  chair  on  a  slightly  raised 
platform,  was  a  handsome,  youngish  man  in  the  uni 
form  of  a  Spanish  colonel.  He  had  a  strong,  open 

260 


BEFORE  BERNARDO  GALVE2 

countenance,  and  the  five  knew  that  it  was  Ber 
nardo  Galvez,  the  Governor  General  of  Louisiana. 
The  favorable  impression  of  him  that  they  had  re 
ceived  from  reports  was  confirmed  by  his  appearance. 

Bernardo  Galvez  rose  with  punctilious  courtesy 
and  saluted  Oliver  Pollock,  who  introduced  in  turn 
the  five,  to  every  one  of  whom  the  Governor  General 
gave  a  bow  and  a  friendly  word.  Like  all  others  in 
New  Orleans  who  had  seen  them,  he  bestowed  an  ad 
miring  look  upon  their  size,  their  straightness,  and 
above  all,  the  extraordinary  air  of  independence  and 
resolution  that  characterized  every  one  of  them,  in 
dicated,  not  by  the  words  they  said  or  the  things  they 
did,  but  by  an  atmosphere  they  created,  something 
that  cannot  be  described.  They  had  never  been  in 
such  a  room  before,  one  containing  so  much  of  the 
splendor  of  old  Europe,  but  they  were  not  awed  in 
the  least  by  it,  and  Bernardo  Galvez  knew  it. 

Oliver  Pollock,  the  shrewd  merchant  and  patriot, 
man  of  affairs,  and  judge  of  his  kind,  observed  them 
closely  and,  observing,  he  felt  a  great  thrill  of  satis 
faction.  The  five,  boys  though  two  of  them  were, 
had  felt  the  vast  importance  of  their  mission  and, 
now  that  they  had  come,  he  too,  felt  it.  It  was  a 
most  critical  and  delicate  moment  for  the  struggling 
young  nation.  He  knew  much  of  Francisco  Alva 
rez,  and  he  surmised  more. 

"  I  have  heard  of  you,"  said  the  Governor  General 
to  the  five,  and  his  tones  became  judicial  and  severe, 
as  became  the  ruler  of  a  million  square  miles  of  fer 
tile  territory  belonging  to  His  Most  Catholic  Maj- 

261 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

esty,  the  King  of  Spain.  "  You  are  the  subject  of 
formal  complaint  made  by  the  captain  of  our  forces 
in  the  North,  Don  Francisco  Alvarez." 

It  was  now  Paul,  the  scholar,  youth  of  imagination, 
and  future  statesman,  who  responded  and  it  seemed 
fitting  to  all  that  he  should  do  so. 

u  Will  Your  Excellency  state  the  complaint  against 
us?  "  he  asked  in  a  grave  and  manly  way. 

"  I  will  leave  it  to  Don  Francisco  to  state  it,"  re 
plied  Bernardo  Galvez.  "  I  expected  that  you  would 
be  here  this  morning,  so  I  have  chosen  to  confront 
you  with  him.  Each  side  shall  tell  its  story." 

This  seemed  fair,  and  the  five,  who  had  been  waved 
to  seats  by  a  great  window  with  Mr.  Pollock,  made 
no  protest.  There  they  sat  in  silence  for  a  few 
minutes,  while  the  Governor  General  dictated  to  a 
secretary  who  sat  at  a  little  table  by  his  side  and 
who  wrote  with  a  goose-quill. 

The  wide  door  was  at  length  thrown  open  again, 
and  the  usher  announced  Don  Francisco  and  his  aide, 
Senor  Braxton  Wyatt.  The  five  were  amazed  and 
indignant  at  the  assurance  of  the  renegade,  but  they 
said  nothing. 

Alvarez  walked  into  the  room,  cool,  dignified, 
and  austere,  but  his  manner  was  not  calculated  to 
ruffle  his  superior  officer.  It  seemed  rather  to  indi 
cate  a  confidence  that  the  Governor  General  would 
punish  as  was  fitting  the  impertinence  of  the  intruders 
from  Kaintock.  He  bestowed  only  a  single  glance 
upon  them,  as  if  his  victory  over  such  insignificant 
opponents  were  already  assured.  The  blood  slowly 

262 


BEFORE  BERNARDO  GALVEZ 

rose  to  the  faces  of  Paul  and  Henry,  but  they  were 
about  to  witness  an  extraordinary  exhibition  of  Span 
ish  pliancy  and  dexterity. 

Braxton  Wyatt  was  as  thoroughly  the  Spaniard  as 
clothes  could  make  him,  which  was  not  thorough  at 
all,  and  he  imitated  his  leader  even  to  the  supercilious 
glance  at  the  Kentuckians  and  the  following  look  of 
assured  victory.  The  five  took  no  notice  of  him. 

Alvarez  gave  to  the  Governor  General  a  military 
salute,  which  Galvez  returned  in  like  fashion.  Then 
the  captain  sat  down  in  a  chair  near  the  Governor 
General,  and  the  latter  said,  maintaining  his  judi 
cial  tone : 

'  Those  against  whom  you  made  the  complaint 
last  night  are  here,  Don  Francisco.  Will  you  state 
again  the  charges?  It  is  but  fair  that  they  should 
hear  and  make  reply,  if  they  can." 

He  spoke  in  English  that  the  five  might  under 
stand,  and  Alvarez  replied  in  the  same  language. 

"  Your  Excellency,"  he  said,  and  his  tone  seemed 
frank,  open,  and  convincing  —  the  five  w7ere  amazed 
that  he  could  have  such  a  truthful  look  and  manner 
of  injured  innocence  — "  you  know  that  I  have  been 
a  most  faithful  guardian  of  the  interests  of  our  mas 
ter,  the  King.  I  have  done  long  and  hard  service 
in  the  far  north,  in  a  wilderness  infested  by  hostile 
savages." 

u  No  one  doubts  your  courage  and  endurance,  Don 
Francisco,"  said  Bernardo  Galvez. 

"  My  devotion  to  Spain  is  the  great  passion  of 
my  life,"  continued  Alvarez  in  a  gratified  tone. 

263 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  You  know  how  jealously  I  have  sought  to  guard 
against  incursions  from  Kaintock.  The  settlements 
of  the  Americans  there  are  but  two  or  three  year  old, 
yet  these  people  press  already  upon  the  Mississippi 
and  threaten  His  Majesty's  territory  of  Louisiana. " 

"  I  think  that  we  wander  a  little  from  the  subject," 
said  Galvez.  "  It  would  be  better  to  state  the  core  of 
your  complaint." 

Alvarez  made  a  deprecating  gesture. 

"  I  deemed  the  preamble  necessary  to  a  full  under 
standing  of  what  has  followed,"  he  said.  "  When 
I  tell  of  Kaintock  I  tell  what  these  men  are.  Suf 
fice  it  now  to  say  that,  of  their  own  accord  and  by 
their  own  hands,  they  have  made  war  upon  Spain. 
They  have  stolen  away  a  boat  of  mine,  loaded  with 
arms  and  stores,  they  have  fired  upon  His  Majesty's 
subjects,  and  one  of  them  has  slain  a  Natchez  trailer, 
a  faithful,  valuable  man  in  my  service." 

When  Alvarez  spoke  of  The  Cat,  he  pointed  at 
Shif'less  Sol  —  he  was  acting  on  a  hint  of  Wyatt's. 
The  look  of  Alvarez  followed  the  accusing  finger, 
but  the  shiftless  one  rose  undaunted. 

"  That  part  of  what  he  tells  is  true,"  said  Shif' 
less  Sol.  "  I  slew  that  Injun  —  an'  a  meaner  face  I 
never  saw  in  fa'r  fight.  He  slipped  upon  me  in  the 
dark  to  murder  me,  an'  thar  wuzn't  nothin'  else  left 
fur  me  to  do." 

Freed  of  his  speech  and  his  wrath,  the  shiftless 
one  sat  down  again.  Alvarez  and  the  renegade  gave 
him  looks  of  sneering  incredulity,  but  the  look  of 
Bernardo  Galvez  was  one  of  interest  and  surprise. 

264 


BEFORE  BERNARDO  GALVEZ 

"  What  of  the  other  charges?  "  he  asked,  turning 
to  Paul,  the  spokesman. 

The  gift  of  imagination  often  implies  the  orator's 
tongue  and  Paul  had  an  inspired  moment.  He  stood 
up,  his  cheeks  flushing  and  his  eyes  alight,  as  they  al 
ways  were  when  he  was  deeply  moved. 

"  It  is  true,"  he  said,  "  that  we  took  a  boat  be 
longing  to  Captain  Alvarez,  but  it  was  because  he 
forced  us  to  do  it.  It  is  he  who  first  made  war  upon 
Kentucky,  not  we  upon  Spain.  I  went  into  his  camp 
upon  a  peaceful  mission.  He  seized  and  held  me  a 
prisoner.  I  was  rescued  by  my  comrades,  although 
they  inflicted  no  harm  upon  any  of  the  men  of  Cap 
tain  Alvarez.  He  has  sought  in  every  way  to  destroy 
us,  and  because  he  was  the  beginner  of  violence  and 
because  he  is  planning  a  great  treason  and  war  upon 
Kentucky,  we  took  his  boat  and  have  come  to  New 
Orleans  for  the  sole  purpose  of  appearing  before 
you." 

Alvarez  burst  into  a  sneering  laugh  and  Braxton 
Wyatt,  as  a  matter  of  course,  imitated  him,  but  Ber 
nardo  Galvez  asked  in  a  grave  tone: 

'What  do  you  mean  by  a  great  treason?  No, 
Don  Francisco,  wait!  Let  him  speak!  It  is  their 
right." 

"  I  mean,"  said  Paul  boldly,  "  that  he  expects  to 
become  Governor  General  of  Louisiana  in  your  place. 
It  is  not  the  policy  of  Spain  to  attack  us.  Yet  Red 
Eagle  and  Yellow  Panther,  the  head  chiefs  of  the 
powerful  Shawnee  and  Miami  nations  were  in  his 
camp,  and  he  has  agreed  to  help  them  with  Spanish 

265 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

soldiers  and  Spanish  cannon  in  a  raid  upon  Ken 
tucky." 

"  This  is  an  extraordinary  statement,"  said  Ber 
nardo  Galvez.  *  Your  proof?  " 

"  Yes,  your  proof!  "  sneered  Alvarez,  and  Brax- 
ton  Wyatt  sneered,  too. 

"  This  man,"  said  Paul,  pointing  to  the  renegade, 
"  is  from  Kentucky.  We  were  boys  together  but 
he  deserted  the  white  people,  his  own  people,  to  go 
with  the  red.  He  has  continually  urged  the  Indian 
attack  upon  us  and  he  has  brought  to  Captain  Al 
varez  complete  maps  of  every  settlement  in  Ken 
tucky,  Wareville,  Marlowe,  Lexington,  Harrodsburg, 
and  all  the  others.  Why  is  he  here !  Why  has  he 
come  to  New  Orleans,  if  not  to  bind  the  red  chiefs 
and  Captain  Alvarez  together  in  such  an  enterprise?  " 

Alvarez  again  burst  into  a  laugh,  ironical  and  taunt 
ing.  Paul  flushed  deeply. 

"  I  know,"  he  exclaimed,  "  that  we  cannot  bring 
you  absolute  proofs,  but  it  is  true,  nevertheless.  The 
Indian  chiefs,  Yellow  Panther  and  Red  Eagle,  have 
his  agreement  made  without  any  authority  from  you, 
and  there  are  the  maps." 

"  A  map  does  not  necessarily  mean  war,"  said  Al 
varez,  "  even  if  they  should  exist,  and  they  do  not 
exist.  I  took  these  people,  arms  in  hand,  upon  His 
Majesty's  soil,  and  it  was  my  intention  to  bring  them 
to  New  Orleans  for  examination  and  punishment  by 
you." 

"  Doubtless  it  is  so,"  said  Bernardo  Galvez,  "  but 
you  were  in  no  hurry  to  perform  the  mission.  I  was 

266 


BEFORE  BERNARDO  GALVEZ 

forced  to  send  a  message  to  you  at  Beaulieu  to  come 
to  New  Orleans  with  your  prisoners,  but  it  seems  they 
have  escaped  and  come  of  their  own  accord." 

"  And  I  may  state,  your  Excellency,"  said  Henry 
Ware  rising,  "  that  while  my  comrade,  Paul  Cotter, 
was  a  prisoner  at  Beaulieu,  he  was  forced  into  a  ring 
and  a  professional  swordsman  was  set  upon  him. 
That,  Captain  Alvarez  cannot  deny.  It  was  wit 
nessed  by  too  many  people." 

Bernardo  Galvez  gave  Alvarez  a  surprised  and 
stern  look.  The  captain  winced,  but  it  was  only  for 
a  moment. 

"Is  this  true,  Don  Francisco?"  asked  the  Gov 
ernor  General  gravely.  u  Did  you  do  this  thing?  " 

Alvarez  made  a  gesture  as  if  it  were  true,  but  yet 
a  trifle. 

"  I  confess,  Your  Excellency,"  he  said.  "  I  had 
forgotten  the  circumstance,  but,  since  I  am  reminded 
of  it,  I  will  not  deny.  The  thing  seems  much  worse 
in  the  telling  than  it  was  in  the  happening.  The 
young  man  had  shown  great  skill  with  the  sword  — 
he  had  disarmed  me  in  a  little  encounter;  I  admit 
that,  too  —  and  we  wished  to  test  his  agility  and  cour 
age  against  a  master,  who  was  instructed  not  to  hurt 
him  seriously  under  any  circumstances." 

He  spoke  rapidly  and  lightly,  almost  convincingly. 
But  Henry  Ware  interrupted. 

"  His  object,"  he  said,  "  was  to  have  Paul  Cotter 
killed." 

Bernardo  Galvez  looked  from  one  to  the  other  and 
back  again.  It  was  the  word  of  a  stranger  and  a 

267 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

foreigner  against  that  of  a  Spanish  captain  in  his 
service,  a  man  of  noble  lineage,  and  with  powerful 
friends  at  the  Court  of  Madrid.  But  the  seeds  of 
doubt  had  been  sown  nevertheless.  The  youth,  Paul, 
and  his  comrade  Henry,  also,  had  spoken  with  singu 
lar  earnestness.  Moreover,  Francisco  Alvarez  was 
an  ambitious  man,  and  Bernardo  Galvez  also  believed 
him  to  be  unscrupulous.  If  he  aimed  at  the  place  of 
Governor  General  and  the  commitment  of  Spain  to 
an  alliance  with  England,  it  was  a  daring  thing  to  do, 

Bernardo  Galvez  was  sorely  troubled  and  he 
looked  from  Alvarez  to  the  five  and  then  back  again. 
Alvarez  sat  smiling.  His  look  was  that  of  one  who 
was  right,  who  knew  that  he  was  right,  and  who  knew 
that  others  knew  it.  Oliver  Pollock  sitting  by  the 
big  window,  close  to  the  five,  was  also  watching 
shrewdly  in  order  that  he  might  draw  from  all  this 
coil  some  capital  for  the  patriot  cause. 

"  In  any  event,"  said  Bernardo  Galvez  at  last, 
speaking  slowly,  as  if  he  carefully  considered  each 
word,  "  you  were  wrong,  Don  Francisco,  to  expose 
this  youth  to  such  an  encounter.  If,  as  you  say,  it 
was  merely  a  little  sport,  then  the  sport  was  ill-chosen 
and  ill-timed.  Whether  that  or  another  was  your 
purpose,  it  reflects  upon  your  judgment  and  sense  of 
humanity." 

He  paused,  and  Alvarez  flushed  darkly,  but  he  was 
still  master  of  his  supple  self. 

"  Your  words  are  none  too  severe,  Your  Excel 
lency,"  he  said.  "  I  did  indeed  do  a  foolish  thing. 
It  was  a  thoughtless  impulse." 

268 


BEFORE  BERNARDO  GALVEZ 

"  But,"  resumed  Galvez,  as  if  Alvarez  had  not 
spoken,  "  you  are  an  officer  high  in  the  service  of 
His  Majesty,  and  these  who  accuse  you  are  strangers 
belonging  to  another  race.  They  do  not  bring  the 
proof  of  their  charges,  and  the  fact  that  they  have 
violently  seized  and  put  to  their  own  use  the  property 
of  Spain  cannot  be  denied,  as  the  boat  is  now  an 
chored  at  the  levee." 

Francisco  Alvarez  and  Braxton  Wyatt  lifted  their 
chins  in  triumph  and  the  five  were  downcast.  But 
the  face  of  Oliver  Pollock,  the  shrewd  merchant  and 
far-seeing  judge  of  affairs  and  men,  showed  nothing. 

"  Therefore,"  continued  the  Governor  General, 
"  the  boat  must  be  returned  at  once  to  Don  Fran 
cisco,  and  for  the  present  those  who  seized  it  must  be 
the  prisoners  of  Spain." 

Paul  was  about  to  spring  up  in  protest,  but  Henry's 
hand  on  his  arm  held  him  down.  Oliver  Pollock, 
too,  gave  him  a  warning  glance.  Yet  the  triumphant 
looks  of  the  Spanish  captain  and  the  renegade  were 
hard  to  bear. 

"  On  the  other  hand,"  continued  the  Governor  Gen 
eral,  still  weighing  his  words,  "  the  actions  of  Don 
Francisco  have  not  been  beyond  rebuke.  He  seems 
to  have  regarded  those  from  Kaintock  as  the  prison 
ers  of  himself  and  not  of  Spain.  He  made  no  report 
of  these  matters  to  me,  his  superior  officer,  and  he  has 
lingered  at  his  place  of  Beaulieu  as  if  he  were  subject 
to  no  orders  save  those  of  his  own  will." 

Alvarez  again  flushed  and  raised  his  hand  in  pro 
test,  but  Bernardo  Galvez  went  on,  disregarding  him: 

269 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  Because  these  offenses  give  some  color  to  the 
charges  against  him,  it  is  my  order  that  he  be  relieved 
for  the  present  of  his  command,  and  that  he  do  not 
depart,  under  any  circumstance,  from  the  City  of  New 
Orleans  until  he  receive  further  instructions." 

Alvarez  sprang  up  in  anger,  but  a  commanding 
gesture  from  the  Governor  General  waved  him  down 
in  silence. 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  hear  any  protests,  Don  Fran 
cisco,"  he  said,  "  but  I  do  intend  to  look  further  into 
these  matters." 

"  If  we  have  not  won,  neither  has  the  Spaniard," 
whispered  Henry  in  Paul's  ear. 

Oliver  Pollock  glanced  out  of  the  big  window  and 
the  turning  of  his  head  hid  the  twinkle  in  his  eye. 
Yes,  these  were  very  delicate  matters,  and  two  great 
nations  and  another  that  hoped  to  be  great,  too,  were 
involved,  but  one  might  make  progress  nevertheless. 

Bernardo  Galvez  spoke  to  his  secretary,  who  left 
the  room,  but  returned  in  a  few  minutes  with  no  less 
a  personage  than  Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal,  mincing, 
scrupulously  dressed,  but  very  alert  of  eye. 

'  You  will  take  six  soldiers,"  said  the  Governor 
General  to  him,  "  and  escort  these  five  to  the  fortress. 
Treat  them  well,  but  hold  them  until  further  orders." 

Oliver  Pollock  gave  a  nod  to  Henry.  It  said 
plainly,  "  go  without  protest."  Henry  and  his  com 
rades  rose  and  followed  Lieutenant  Bernal  from  the 
Governor  General's  house.  Thence  they  went  to  one 
of  the  forts  in  the  wall  that  surrounded  the  town. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

IN    PRISON 

THEIR  fortress  prison  was  built  of  brick,  but 
it    was    not    a    particularly    somber    place. 
They  were  all  put  in  one  large  room  which 
had  two  windows  barred  with  iron;  but  plenty  of 
air  came  in  at  the  windows,  and  the  place,  though 
bare,  was  clean. 

'(  Well,"  said  Lieutenant  Bernal,  when  they  were 
inside,  "  tell  me  all  that  occurred  before  Bernardo 
Galvez." 

Paul  was  again  the  spokesman  telling  everything 
that  was  said  as  literally  as  he  could. 

"  I  have  an  impression,"  said  Lieutenant  Bernal, 
"  although  my  impressions  are  usually  wrong  and  my 
memory  is  always  weak,  that  you  have  scored,  at  least 
partially.  You  have  sowed  the  fertile  crop  of  sus 
picion  in  the  mind  of  Bernardo  Galvez.  He  has 
shown  that  by  making  Francisco  Alvarez  virtually  a 
prisoner,  also,  and  you  have  a  powerful  advocate  in 
the  Sefior  Pollock,  the  great  merchant,  and  I  may  add 
the  great  diplomat,  also." 

"  How  long  do  you  think  we  will  be  kept  in 
here?"  asked  Shif'less  Sol,  looking  around  at  the 
room,  which,  though  wide,  was  by  no  means  so  wide 
as  the  forests  of  Kentucky. 

271 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  I  do  not  know,"  replied  the  lieutenant,  smiling  — 
he  understood  the  look  of  the  shiftless  one,  "  but  you 
shall  not  be  ill-treated,  and  do  not  feel  that  any  dis 
grace  lies  upon  you.  This  is  a  military  prison. 
Good  men  have  been  confined  here ;  I  myself,  for  in 
stance,  because  of  some  little  breach  of  military  dis 
cipline  magnified  by  my  officers  into  a  fault.  Oh,  you 
shall  not  suffer!  " 

He  bustled  about  cheerily.  He  had  food  and 
drink  brought  to  them,  and  then  he  departed,  volun 
teering  to  see  that  their  private  property  on  u  The 
Galleon  "  was  saved  and  brought  to  them. 

No  one  spoke  for  a  little  while  after  his  going,  and 
then  the  silence  was  broken  by  a  long,  dismal  sigh. 
It  was  drawn  up  from  the  depths  of  Long  Jim's 
chest. 

"  Are  you  sick,  Jim?  "  asked  Henry. 

"  Yes,  Henry,"  replied  Jim  in  a  melancholy  tone, 
"  I'm  sick;  sick  uv  all  this  jawin',  sick  uv  seein'  things 
pulled  here,  an'  then  pulled  yonder,  sick  uv  hearin' 
people  lyin',  knowin'  that  they're  lyin',  and  knowin' 
that  other  people  know  that  they're  lyin'." 

"  Why,  Jim,"  said  Paul,  who  had  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye,  "  that's  diplomacy,  and  the  man  who  practises  it 
is  called  a  diplomatist  or  diplomat.  It's  considered  a 
great  accomplishment." 

"  It  ain't  so  considered  by  me,  an'  I'm  bein'  heard 
from,"  said  Long  Jim  with  great  emphasis.  "  Them 
dy-plo-may-tists  or  dy-plo-maws  may  reckon  their- 
selves  pow'ful  big  boys,  but  I've  got  another  an'  bet 
ter  name  fur  'em,  and  it's  spelled  with  jest  four  let- 

272 


IN  PRISON 

ters,  uv  which  the  furst  is  1  an'  the  last  is  r,  an'  them 
that  comes  in  between  are  i  an'  a,  with  the  i  first. 
Why,  Paul,  it  makes  me  plum'  sick,  all  these  goin's 
on.  In  a  big  town  like  this,  full  uv  Spaniards  an' 
Frenchmen  an'  Injuns  an'  niggers  an'  mixed  breeds, 
an'  the  Lord  knows  what,  you  can  never  tell  nuthin' 
'bout  nobody,  'cept  that  he  says  what  he  don't  believe, 
an*  that  he  ain't  what  he  is. 

44  I  guess  I'm  in  love  more  with  the  big  woods  than 
ever.  Thar  things  is  what  they  is.  A  buffaler 
don't  pretend  to  be  a  b'ar.  He'd  be  ashamed  to  be 
caught  tryin'  to  play  sech  a  trick,  an'  a  b'ar  has  the 
same  respect  fur  hisself ;  he'd  never  dream  uv  sayin7 
in  his  b'ar  language,  *  Look  at  me,  admire  me,  see 
what  a  fine  big  buffaler  I  am!  '  An'  I've  a  lot  uv 
respeck  fur  the  Injun,  too.  He's  an  Injun  an'  he 
don't  say  he  ain't.  He  don't  come  sneakin'  along 
claimin'  that  he's  an  old  friend  uv  the  family,  he  jest 
up  an'  lets  drive  his  tomahawk  at  your  head,  ef  he 
gits  the  chance,  an'  makes  no  bones  'bout  it.  I'd  a 
heap  ruther  be  killed  by  a  good  honest  Injun  who 
wuz  pantin'  fur  my  blood  an'  didn't  pretend  that  he 
wuzn't  pantin',  than  be  done  to  death  down  here,  in 
some  cur'us,  unbeknown,  hole-in-the-dark  way,  by  a 
furrin'  man  who  couldn't  speak  a  real  word  of  the  de 
cent  English  language,  but  who  wuz  tryin'  to  let  on 
all  the  time  that  he  hated  to  do  it." 

Long  Jim  stopped,  breathing  hard  with  his  long 
speech  and  anger.  Shif'less  Sol  rose,  walked  across 
the  room,  and  solemnly  held  out  his  hand  to  his  com 
rade. 

273 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  Jim/'  he  said,  "  you  don't  often  talk  sense,  but 
you're  talkin'  a  heap  o'  it  now.  Shake." 

Long  Jim  shook  and  added  with  a  grin : 

'*  When  me  an'  you  agree,  Sol,  'bout  anythin',  it's 
shorely  right." 

Then  they  fell  silent  for  a  while,  each  thinking  in 
his  own  way  of  what  had  occurred.  Henry  Ware 
walked  to  one  of  the  windows  and  looked  out  for  a 
long  while.  He  relished  little  the  idea  of  being  a 
prisoner  for  the  second  time,  even  if  the  second  im 
prisonment  were  a  sort  of  courtesy  affair.  He  saw 
from  the  windows  the  roofs  of  houses  amid  green  fo 
liage  and  he  knew  that  only  a  few  hundred  yards  be 
yond  lay  the  great  forest,  which,  now  in  the  freshest 
and  tenderest  tints  of  spring,  rolled  away  unbroken, 
save  for  the  few  scratches  that  the  French  or  Spanish 
had  made,  for  thousands  of  miles,  and  for  all  he  knew 
to  the  Arctic  Circle  itself. 

The  words  of  Long  Jim  stirred  the  youth  deeply. 
He  did  not  like  intrigue  and  double-dealing  and  the 
ways  of  foreign  men.  Like  Long  Jim  he  longed  for 
the  great  honest  forest,  and  he,  too,  had  his  respect 
for  the  Indian  who  would  tomahawk  him  without 
claiming  to  be  a  friend.  He  was  glad,  very  glad, 
that  he  had  come  upon  so  great  an  errand,  but  he 
would  like  to  cleave  through  the  whole  web  of  in 
trigue  with  one  sturdy  blow  and  then  be  off  into  the 
forest  which  was  calling  to  him  with  such  a  dearly 
loved  voice. 

Paul  saw  Henry's  face  and  he  understood  its  ex 
pression.  He  knew  that  it  was  harder  for  his  com- 

274 


IN  PRISON 

rade  than  for  himself  to  endure  the  confinement  within 
four  walls,  but  he  said  nothing.  Words  would  be 
wasted. 

Later  in  the  day  their  door  was  opened,  and  Mr. 
Pollock  came  in  bringing  with  him  a  cheery  breeze. 

u  I've  come  to  tell  you  what  news  there  may  be," 
he  said,  "  and  also  to  ask  questions.  Now,  sit  down 
and  make  yourselves  comfortable.  That's  right. 
The  cunning  and  ambitious  Don  Francisco  Alvarez 
is  in  a  rage.  He  is  also  somewhat  frightened.  He 
knows  that  Bernardo  Gaivez  will  be  busy  the  next 
few  days  trying  to  secure  the  proof  of  the  charges  that 
you  make  against  him.  In  my  opinion,  Gaivez  be 
lieves  that  they  ?.re  true,  but,  as  you  will  agree,  he 
cannot  act  without  proof." 

"  But  that  is  exactly  what  we  lack  at  this  time," 
said  Henry,  "  and  how  can  we  get  it  while  we  are 
locked  up  here?  " 

"  Just  so !  Just  so !  That  is  a  point  to  which  I 
am  coming.  Now,  about  this  renegade,  this  Brax- 
ton  Wyatt.  You  say  he  is  the  man  who  drew  the 
maps  and  who  has  been  the  intermediary  in  this  whole 
nefarious  scheme.  Maps  could  be  drawn,  of  course, 
for  a  purpose  not  wicked,  but  if  they  could  be  pro 
duced,  and  above  all  if  Alvarez  had  made  any  notes 
upon  them  in  his  own  handwriting,  they  would  go  far 
to  help.  If  not  proof,  they  would  at  least  be  a  strong 
indication.  Now,  where  do  you  think  these  maps 
are  kept?  " 

"  On  the  person  of  Braxton  Wyatt,"  replied 
Henry  promptly. 

275 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

The  merchant  smiled  with  pleasure. 

"  Of  course !  Of  course !  "  he  said.  "  They  be 
long  to  Wyatt  and  naturally  he  would  keep  them. 
Naturally,  also,  Alvarez  would  want  him  to  keep 
them.  He  would  take  care  that  such  things  were 
not  found  on  his  own  person.  We  must  get  posses 
sion  of  those  maps.  But  we  must  go  further.  This 
renegade  has  lived  among  both  the  Shawnees  and 
Miamis  and  is  high  in  their  confidence,  is  it  not  so?  " 

"  Yes,  both  the  great  head-chiefs,  Yellow  Panther 
and  Red  Eagle,  trust  him." 

t  "  And  to  carry  out  this  nefarious  alliance  some 
promise  must  have  passed  between  Alvarez  and  the 
two  head  chiefs.  That  promise  had  to  take  a  con 
crete  form  to  be  binding." 

"  War  belts,"  suggested  Henry. 

"  But  a  white  man  does  not  send  war  belts.  He 
has  another  kind  of  token,  and  he  makes  that  token 
with  paper,  ink,  and  a  goose  quill.  Yes,  Alvarez  is 
cunning,  I  know,  but  the  most  cunning  of  all  men 
when  he  enters  a  great  conspiracy  must  leave  a  loose 
end  hanging  about  somewhere.  Or,  to  change  my 
simile,  there  is  no  armor  of  deception  so  complete 
that  there  is  not  a  crack  in  it.  We  must  find  that 
loose  end,  we  must  find  that  crack,  and  when  we  do, 
we  can  see  victory  just  ahead  of  us." 

"  Do  you  mean,"  said  Henry,  "  that  Alvarez  has 
probably  sent  a  letter  to  the  Northern  chiefs,  promis 
ing  that  as  Governor  General  of  Louisiana  he  will 
help  them  with  soldiers  and  cannon  against  us  in 
Kentucky?" 

276 


IN  PRISON 

"  I  think  it  likely,  quite  likely,"  returned  Oliver 
Pollock,  nodding  his  head  to  give  emphasis  to  his 
words.  "  He  had  to  give  them  something  that  would 
bind.  A  conspirator  must  take  a  risk  and  in  this  case 
it  seemed  small.  The  villages  of  those  chiefs  are  be 
yond  the  Ohio,  fifteen  hundred  miles  at  least  from 
here.  The  chance  that  such  a  letter  would  reappear 
in  New  Orleans  was  most  remote,  and  Alvarez  might 
have  expected  to  provide  against  that,  too,  by  being 
Governor  General  within  a  few  months.  I  feel  con 
fident  that  there  is  such  a  letter  and  we  must  find  it." 

"  It's  a  pretty  problem,"  said  Paul. 

"  I  admit  it,"  said  Oliver  Pollock,  "  but  a  new  con 
tinent  teaches  one  to  achieve  the  impossible.  That  is 
what  are  we  to  do;  how,  I  do  not  yet  know,  but 
we  must  do  it." 

"  It's  important,"  said  Henry,   "  that  it  be  done 


soon." 


"  It  certainly  is,"  said  Mr.  Pollock  with  great  em 
phasis,  "  because  I  wish  to  start  North  soon  with  a 
great  fleet  of  canoes  and  other  boats  loaded  with 
rifles,  powder,  lead,  blankets,  medicines,  and  other 
absolutely  necessary  things  for  our  suffering  brethren 
in  the  east.  They  are  hard  pressed  there,  and  it 
takes  a  long  time  to  pull  up  the  Mississippi  and  the 
Ohio  and  then  carry  these  things  across  four  or  five 
hundred  miles  of  country  to  our  army." 

11  It's  shorely  a  wonderful  thing,"  said  Shif'less 
Sol,  "  that  you  kin  take  boats  up  a  big  river  hun 
dreds  an'  hundreds  o'  miles  into  the  heart  o'  a  con 
tinent,  then  bend  off  into  another  river  runnin'  into 

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THE  FREE  RANGERS 

it  that  takes  you  nearly  over  to  the  Atlantic.  An' 
mebbe  ef  you  took  one  o'  the  rivers  that  runs  in  it 
on  the  other  side  you  might  follow  it  up  'till  you  got 
purty  near  to  the  western  ocean.  It  says  to  me  plain 
ez  print  that  we  must  hev  this  here  Mississippi  all  the 
way  to  its  mouth.  We  can't  stay  bottled  up." 

"  Sh-sh,"  said  Mr.  Pollock,  warningly.  "  Leave 
that  to  the  future.  It  will  adjust  itself,  and  I  think 
it  will  adjust  itself  in  the  way  that  we  wish,  but  we 
cannot  talk  of  it  now,  while  Bernardo  Galvez  is  our 
good  friend  and  Spain  inclines  to  our  side.  Of 
course  Louisiana  may  be  passed  back  to  France,  but 
France  is  a  better  and  more  powerful  friend  than 
Spain  can  be." 

"  Do  you  think  you  can  get  hold  of  Braxton 
Wyatt?  "  asked  Henry  of  Mr.  Pollock. 

"  I  shall  try,"  replied  the  merchant.  "  Our  asso 
ciation  has  agents  here,  and  in  such  times  as  these  and 
in  such  a  great  emergency  much  may  be  excused.  If 
we  can  get  hands  upon  him  at  a  convenient  moment 
and  place  we'll  see  whether  he  has  those  maps  about 
him." 

"  He'll  surely  have  them,"  said  Henry.  "  But 
he'll  stick  close  to  Alvarez." 

"  Yes,  there  lies  the  trouble,"  said  Mr.  Pollock, 
"  but  we'll  do  our  best." 

He  took  his  departure,  and  they  were  left  again  to 
loneliness.  Several  days  passed  thus  and  they  chafed 
terribly.  Food  and  drink  they  had  in  plenty,  and 
even  some  English  books  were  sent  to  them.  But 
the  narrow  space  and  the  four  enclosing  walls  were 

278 


IN  PRISON 

always  there.  Outside  the  spring  was  deepening. 
All  the  great  forest  throbbed  with  the  life  of  bird  and 
beast,  but  they,  the  highest  of  creation,  could  not 
walk  ten  paces  in  any  direction. 

"  Jim,"  said  Shif'less  Sol  to  Long  Jim,  "  there's  a 
spring  'bout  twenty  miles  north  o'  Wareville  that  you 
an'  me  hev  sat  by  many  a  time.  Thar  are  hundreds 
o'  springs  through  that  country,  yes,  thousands  o'  'em, 
but  this  one  is  the  finest  o'  'em  all.  It  comes  right 
out  o'  the  side  o'  a  rock  hill,  a  stream  so  pure  that 
you  kin  see  right  through  it  same  ez  ef  it  wuzn't  thar, 
then  it  falls  into  a  most  bee-yu-ti-ful  rock  pool  scooped 
out  by  Natur,  an'  ez  the  pool  overflows,  it  runs  away 
through  the  grass  an'  the  woods  in  a  stream  'bout 
two  feet  wide  an'  four  inches  deep.  I  think  that's 
'bout  the  nicest,  coldest,  an'  most  life-givin'  water 
in  alf  Kentucky.  You  an'  me,  Jim,  hev  gone  thar 
many  a  time,  hot  an'  tired  from  the  hunt,  an'  hev 
felt  ez  ef  we  had  landed  right  on  the  steps  o'  Heaven 
itself.  An'  the  game,  Jim !  The  game,  big  an'  lit 
tle,  knowed  'bout  that  spring,  too.  Remember  that 
tre-men-je-ous  big  elk  you  an'  me  killed  'bout  two 
hundred  yards  north  o'  the  spring.  He  stood  most 
ez  high  ez  a  horse.  An'  remember,  Jim,  when  we 
climbed  up  on  top  o'  the  hill  out  o'  which  the  spring 
runs,  we  could  see  a  long  distance  every  way,  north, 
south,  east  an'  west,  over  the  most  bee-yu-ti-ful  coun 
try,  an'  we  could  go  whar  we  pleased.  We  could  fol 
low  the  buffaler  clean  to  the  western  ocean  ef  we  felt 
like  it." 

Long  Jim  had  been  sitting  on  the  floor.     Now  he 
279 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

rose   and  advanced  in  a   threatening  manner  upon 
Shif  less  Sol. 

"  See  here,  Sol  Hyde!"  he  exclaimed,  "  me  an' 
you  hev  had  words  many  a  time,  but  they  hev  always 
ended  in  smoke !  They  hev  never  gone  ez  fur  ez 
this !  An'  I  want  to  tell  you  right  here,  Sol  Hyde, 
that  I  kin  stand  a  lot  uv  things  but  I  can't  stand  this ! 
'Ef  you  say  another  word  about  that  bee-yu-ti-ful 
spring,  an'  them  bee-yu-ti-ful  woods,  an'  that  bee- 
yu-ti-ful  game,  thar'll  be  a  heap  uv  trouble,  an'  it'll 
all  be  fur  you  !  " 

"  Hit  him  anyway,  Jim,"  said  Tom  Ross.  "  He's 
done  filled  me  clean  up  with  discontent,  and  he  ought 
to  be  punished." 

Shifless  Sol  laughed. 

"  I  won't  do  it  again,  Jim,"  he  said.  "  It  wuz 
'cause  I  feel  ez  bad  about  it  ez  you  do,  an'  I  jest  had 
to  let  off  some  meanness." 

Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal  reappeared  at  last.  He 
bestowed  shrewd  looks  upon  the  five  and  said: 

"  I  have  an  impression,  though  my  impressions  are 
usually  false  and  my  memory  always  weak,  that  you 
are  pining.  You  wish  the  liberty  and  the  open  air  of 
Kaintock.  Your  legs  are  long  and  you  would  stretch 
them." 

"  You  hev  shore  hit  it,  leftenant,"  said  Tom  Ross. 
"  Sometimes  I  think  uv  startin'  off  walkin'  ez  straight 
an'  hard  ez  I  kin,  goin'  right  through  the  wall  thar, 
an'  then  through  any  house  that  might  git  in  the  way, 
an'  never  to  stop  goin'  'till  I  got  to  Kentucky,  whar 
a  man  may  breathe  free  an'  easy." 

280 


IN  PRISON 

Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal  laughed  and  daintily 
stroked  his  little  mustache. 

"  I  understand  you  and  you  have  my  sympathy," 
he  said.  "  We  Catalans  are  at  heart  republicans, 
and  I  am  interested  in  this  new  place  of  yours  that  you 
call  Kaintock.  But  you  will  have  to  endure  this  fort 
a  while  longer.  The  good  Senor  Pollock  does  not 
make  progress.  He  cannot  produce  the  proof  of 
what  you  charge.  Yet  Bernardo  Galvez  waits.  He 
believes  in  you,  and  he  holds  Alvarez  and  Wyatt  in 
the  city.  He  is  strengthened  in  his  opinion,  too,  by 
gossip  that  has  come  down  from  Beaulieu,  but  that  is 
not  proof  and  he  cannot  act  upon  it.  But  be  pa 
tient.  I  have  an  impression,  although  my  impres 
sions  are  usually  false,  that  time  is  fighting  for  you." 

He  stayed  with  them  an  hour,  precise  and  affected^ 
but  they  believed  him  to  be  brave  and  true.  A  few 
days  later  Oliver  Pollock  himself  came  again. 

"  I  have  not  been  able  to  get  hold  of  Wyatt,"  he 
said.  "  He  stays  too  closely  with  Alvarez.  I  don't 
think  that  my  agents  are  skillful  enough.  Hence  I 
decided  to  procure  a  new  one  and  fortunately  I  have 
succeeded." 

"Who  is  that?"  asked  Henry. 

"  Yourself." 

"  Myself !  "  exclaimed  Henry  in  astonishment. 

"  No  one  but  you,"  replied  the  merchant.  "  I 
have  been  able,  by  the  use  of  great  influence,  to  se 
cure  from  Bernardo  Galvez  your  temporary  release. 
It  is  to  his  interest  to  have  this  plot  exposed  if  it 
really  exists,  and  accordingly  he  has  allowed  me  to 

281 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

borrow  you.  You  can  go  forth  with  me  if  you  give 
your  word  of  honor  that  you  will  not  leave  New 
Orleans  or  its  vicinity  and  will  report  again  here." 

"Why,  of  course  I'll  go!  I'll"— exclaimed 
Henry  joyfully,  and  then  he  stopped  suddenly,  look 
ing  around  at  his  comrades.  Then  he  added:  "I 
don't  feel  right,  Mr.  Pollock,  to  go  away  and  leave 
the  boys  in  this  place." 

Up  rose  Tom  Ross. 

"  Don't  you  fret  about  us,  Henry,"  he  said. 
"  You're  goin'  on  a  good  work  an'  you'll  do  it,  too. 
We  need  to  hev  one  uv  our  gang  outside.  Remem 
ber  up  at  Boo-ly,  when  Alvarez  had  us,  how  much 
better  we  felt  'cause  he  didn't  hev  Sol.  'Twas  a 
comfort  to  think  that  Sol  wuz  out  thar  in  the  woods." 

It  was  a  long  speech  for  Tom  Ross,  but  it  ex 
pressed  the  sentiments  of  them  all.  Henry  left  with 
Mr.  Pollock  and  they  went  to  a  handsome  brick 
house  in  the  city.  This  house  was  store,  office,  and 
residence  combined,  and  several  clerks  were  about. 
But  these  clerks  did  not  have  pale  faces  and  bent 
backs.  They  were  mostly  strong-limbed,  broad- 
shouldered  men  with  tanned  faces. 

"  They  work  out  of  doors,"  said  Mr.  Pollock 
briefly.  "  Some  are  to  go  with  the  fleet  up  the 
rivers,  others  have  been  as  far  as  the  West  Indies 
accumulating  supplies.  It  is  necessary  for  them  all 
to  be  able  to  write  and  shoot." 

Henry  liked  their  looks,  but  he  did  not  have  a 
chance  to  speak  to  any  of  them  as  Mr.  Pollock 
quickly  led  the  way  into  a  small  inner  office,  where 

282 


IN  PRISON 

he  motioned  Henry  to  a  chair  and  took  one  himself. 
Henry  was  now  within  narrower  walls  than  those 
that  confined  him  in  the  prison,  but  he  felt  a  huge 
sense  of  relief.  He  was  free.  If  he  wanted  to 
open  the  door  and  walk  out  he  could  do  so.  He 
expanded  his  great  chest  and  took  a  mighty  breath. 
Mr.  Pollock  heard  the  suspiration,  looked  up,  and 
laughed.  He  understood  perfectly. 

"  I'd  feel  that  way,  too,  if  I  had  been  in  your 
place,"  he  said.  "  Now  what  we  want  to  do  is  to 
devise  some  plan  of  trapping  your  friend  and  enemy, 
Mr.  Wyatt.  What  do  you  think?  " 

"  Once,"  replied  Henry,  "  when  he  was  carrying 
war  belts  between  the  Shawnees  and  Miamis  we 
simply  seized  him  and  took  them  away  from  him. 
We  must  do  something  of  this  kind.  Where  is  he 
staying?  " 

"  Alvarez  has  a  house  near  the  river.  He  is  there. 
I  know  that  the  two  are  plotting  all  the  while,  but 
I  cannot  get  the  proof." 

"  Do  Wyatt  and  Alvarez  know  that  I'm  out?  " 

11  No,  neither  of  them." 

"  That's  good.  I  think  I  can  surprise  Braxton 
Wyatt.  If  I  can  get  my  hands  on  him  I'm  sure  that 
we'll  find  those  maps.  What  kind  of  a  house  has 
Alvarez?" 

"  You  can  see  it  from  that  window.  A  pretty 
place,  standing  among  the  trees." 

Henry  looked,  and  the  longer  he  looked  the  more 
pleased  he  felt.  The  trees  were  thick  around  the 
house  of  Alvarez  and  the  fact  gave  him  in  idea. 

283 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  I  think  I  know  how  to  do  it,"  he  said. 

Oliver  Pollock  leaned  forward,  his  shrewd  face 
eager,  and  for  a  few  minutes  the  two  talked  low  and 
earnestly. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE    FLAW   IN   THE   ARMOR 

DON  FRANCISCO  ALVAREZ  was  in  a 
fairly  happy  frame  of  mind.  It  is  true 
that  he  could  have  been  happier,  but  a 
revulsion  from  a  great  state  of  suspense  had  come  to 
him.  When  he  had  been  so  boldly  accused  in  the 
presence  of  the  Governor  General,  cold  fear  had 
struck  at  his  heart,  despite  his  courage  and  cunning. 
He  knew  that  the  seeds  of  suspicion  had  been  sowed 
deep  in  the  heart  of  Bernardo  Galvez  and  that  the 
plant  would  grow  fast  in  the  warm,  moist  air  of 
intrigue  that  overhung  New  Orleans. 

But  days  had  passed  and  nothing  had  happened. 
Moreover,  the  five  whom  he  feared  so  much  were 
hard  and  fast  in  the  military  prison  within  the  walls, 
and  no  proof  of  their  charges  had  been  brought 
forth.  Time,  too,  worked  steadily  for  him.  It 
not  only  weakened  the  accusation  against  him,  but 
it  also  gave  his  powerful  friends  at  the  court  of 
Madrid  time  to  help  him  and  his  ambition.  That 
little  strain  of  royal  blood  in  his  veins  was  well 
worth  having.  He  would  certainly  succeed  to  Ber 
nardo  Galvez,  whether  the  wait  be  long  or  short. 
He  kept  Braxton  Wyatt  with  him  all  the  time. 

285 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

He  had  learned  to  appreciate  the  value  of  the 
renegade's  unscrupulous  cunning,  and  he  was  neces 
sary,  too,  in  order  to  carry  out  the  great  alliance  with 
the  tribes  which  Alvarez  meant  should  become  an 
accomplished  fact. 

It  was  a  pleasant  house  that  Alvarez  had  within 
the  walls,  one  story  of  brick  covered  with  red  tiles, 
surrounded  by  piazzas,  and  standing  in  grounds 
thick  with  magnolias,  cypresses,  and  orange  trees. 
In  truth,  the  foliage  was  so  dense  that  by  daylight  the 
house  was  almost  entirely  hidden  from  the  city,  and 
by  night  it  was  quite  invisible  unless  lights  chanced 
to  twinkle  through  the  leaves. 

The  Spaniard  and  Braxton  Wyatt  were  sitting  now 
upon  the  piazza  drinking  a  cool  decoction  of  West 
Indian  origin,  and  Alvarez  was  commenting  upon 
what  he  called  his  good  fortune. 

"  All  things  favor  us,  Wyatt,"  he  said.  "  No 
proof  reaches  the  ears  of  Bernardo  Galvez  and  the 
galleon,  Dona  Isabel,  will  certainly  arrive  next  week 
from  Spain.  If  I  mistake  not,  she  will  bring  news 
welcome  to  me  and  unwelcome  to  Bernardo  Galvez. " 

"  If  you  become  Governor  General  what  will  you 
do  with  the  Kentuckians  in  the  fort?  "  asked  Wyatt. 

Alvarez  laughed,  and  it  was  a  very  unpleasant 
laugh  to  hear. 

"  I  do  not  know  what  I  shall  do  with  them,"  he 
said,  u  but  I  am  sure  of  one  fact.  They  will  never 
see  Kaintock  again.  The  powers  of  a  Governor 
General  are  very  great." 

Braxton  Wyatt  was  satisfied  with  the  answer. 
286 


THE  FLAW  IN  THE  ARMOR 

His  wicked  heart  throbbed  at  the  thought  that  the 
five  would  never  more  roam  their  beloved  forests. 
He,  too,  looked  forward  to  the  arrival  of  the  gal 
leon,  Dona  Isabel,  with  welcome  news.  He  saw 
how  useful  he  was  to  Alvarez,  and  if  the  Spaniard 
rose,  he  must  rise  with  him. 

The  two,  after  these  few  words,  sat  in  silence, 
each  occupied  with  his  own  thoughts,  which,  how 
ever,  were  largely  the  same.  Alvarez  rose  presently 
and  went  into  the  house.  If  all  things  went  as  he 
wished,  there  were  certain  letters  that  he  would  send 
to  powerful  friends  in  Spain,  and  now  was  a  good 
time  to  make  rough  drafts  of  them. 

Braxton  Wyatt  remained  on  the  piazza.  It  was 
wonderfully  cool  and  pleasant  there,  after  the  heat 
of  the  day.  The  wind  blew  musically  among  the 
orange  trees,  and  the  air  was  spiced  with  pleasant 
odors.  Braxton  Wyatt's  thoughts  were  pleasant, 
too.  He  liked  this  luxurious  southern  life.  Though 
born  to  the  forest,  and  a  good  woodsman,  he  had 
sybaritic  tastes,  which  needed  only  opportunity  to  bud 
and  bloom. 

Now,  like  the  Arab  who  had  the  glass  for  sale,  he 
was  building  his  great  future.  Alvarez  would  be 
Governor  General  of  Louisiana,  and  he,  Braxton 
Wyatt,  would  be  his  trusted  and  necessary  lieutenant. 
The  five  whom  he  hated  would  be  removed  under 
the  new  rule  from  the  military  prison  to  dungeons, 
where  they  would  gradually  be  lost  to  the  sight  of 
man,  never  to  be  heard  of  again.  The  Indians  and 
the  Spaniards  with  their  cannon  would  destroy  the 

287 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

settlements  in  Kentucky,  and  he  would  become,  if  not 
the  first,  at  least  the  second  man  in  His  Most  Cath 
olic  Majesty's  huge  province  of  Louisiana.  And  it 
was  not  absolutely  necessary  to  be  Spanish-born  to 
become  in  time  a  Governor  General  himself. 

Time  passed.  It  was  very  quiet  within  the  belt  of 
magnolias  and  cypresses  and  orange  trees  and  but  lit 
tle  noise  came  from  the  town,  the  stray  shout 
of  a  reveler,  a  snatch  of  a  song,  and  then  nothing 
more. 

Braxton  Wyatt,  still  filled  with  his  dreams,  arose 
and  stepped  down  from  the  piazza.  The  happy 
future  promoted  in  him  a  certain  physical  activity, 
and  he  wanted  to  walk  among  the  trees.  He  stepped 
into  their  shadow,  strolled  a  rod  or  so,  and  then 
stopped.  His  acute,  forest-bred  ear  had  brought  to 
him  a  sound  which  was  not  that  of  the  wind  nor  any 
echo  of  a  gay  reveler's  song. 

The  renegade  stopped.  It  was  very  dark  among 
the  trees.  He  could  see  neither  the  house  behind, 
nor  the  city  before  him.  He  did  not  hear  the  sound 
again,  but  he  was  troubled.  His  pleasant  thoughts 
were  disturbed.  It  was  like  waking  from  a  happy 
dream.  He  turned  to  go  back  to  the  house  and  then 
he  saw  a  flitting  shadow.  The  wicked  heart  of 
Braxton  Wyatt  stood  still.  If  he  had  not  known 
that  Henry  Ware  was  safely  in  the  military  prison 
he  would  have  taken  the  terrible  shadow  for  him. 
He  knew  too  well  the  great  height,  the  broad 
shoulders,  and  the  fierce  accusing  countenance. 
Once  he  had  laughed  at  the  Shawnees  and  Miamis 

288 


THE  FLAW  IN  THE  ARMOR 

because  they  had  believed  in  ghosts.  But  could  it 
be  true? 

Braxton  Wyatt  turned  back  toward  the  house, 
where  he  might  renew  his  interrupted  and  pleasant 
dream,  but  the  next  instant  the  terrible  shadow 
turned  itself  into  a  reality  more  terrible. 

A  powerful  form  hurled  itself  upon  him,  and  he 
was  thrown  to  the  ground.  He  looked  up  and  met 
the  eyes  of  Henry  Ware,  who  knelt  upon  him.  No, 
it  was  certainly  not  a  shadow  but  the  most  unpleasant 
of  all  facts ! 

Braxton  Wyatt  was  at  first  paralyzed  by  terror 
and  the  suddenness  of  the  attack.  When  he  re 
covered,  one  hand  of  Henry  pressed  heavily  upon 
his  mouth,  while  the  other  felt  rapidly  through  his 
clothing.  "  Look  for  any  unusual  thickness  in  his 
waistcoat;  that  is  probably  the  place,"  Oliver  Pollock 
had  said.  Henry's  hand  in  a  few  moments  ran  upon 
something  folded  between  the  cloth  and  lining  of  the 
waistcoat.  He  snatched  out  his  knife,  cut  them 
apart  and  out  fell  several  folds  of  fine,  thin  deerskin. 
He  knew  that  the  prize  had  been  secured,  and  he 
meant  to  keep  it. 

Henry  thrust  the  folds  of  deerskin  in  his  pocket 
and  sprang  to  his  feet. 

"  Now,  you  scoundrel!  "  he  exclaimed,  "  tell  what 
tale  you  please  and  we  will  prove  another!  " 

Then  the  terrible  reality  resolved  itself  back  into 
a  shadow,  and  was  gone.  Braxton  Wyatt  sprang  to 
his  feet,  clapped  his  hand  to  his  mangled  waistcoat 
where  the  precious  package  had  been,  and  uttered  a 

289 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

strangled  cry.     Then   he  ran  through  the  trees  to 
the  house  of  Alvarez. 


A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  Oliver  Pollock  was 
sitting  at  his  own  window  in  the  little  office  and  his 
thoughts  were  not  happy.  He  wished  his  fleet  of 
supply  canoes  to  start  on  the  great  river  journey  at 
once,  but  it  could  not  depart  while  such  storms  were 
threatening.  Alvarez  was  too  serious  a  danger,  and 
he  must  be  removed.  But  the  merchant  realized 
that  he  had  made  little  progress.  Alvarez  seemed 
to  be  secure  in  his  plot. 

There  came  a  knock  at  his  door,  and  in  reply  to 
his  request  to  enter,  a  clerk  said  that  the  young  man, 
Mr.  Ware,  had  returned.  Mr.  Pollock  rose  to  his 
feet  as  Henry  came  in.  Henry  carefully  closed  the 
door  behind  him,  advanced,  and  put  a  small  pack 
age  in  Mr.  Pollock's  hand. 

"  There  they  are!"  he  said,  "the  maps  drawn 
up  by  Braxton  Wyatt,  and  with  notes  on  them  in 
handwriting,  which  I  take  to  be  that  of  Francisco 
Alvarez." 

The  merchant  stared  at  first  in  astonishment  and 
delight.  Then  he  ran  to  the  lamp  and  spread  out 
the  sheets  of  fine,  thin  deerskin.  He  looked  at  them, 
one  by  one,  and  laughed  with  delight. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  the  notes  are  in  the  handwriting 
of  Francisco  Alvarez!  I  know  it  —  I  have  seen  it 
often  enough  —  and  Bernardo  Galvez  will  know  it, 
too!  Oh,  it  is  a  great  find!  a  great  find!  It  is  not 

290 


THE  FLAW  IN  THE  ARMOR 

conclusive  proof,  but  it  will  go  far  toward  swaying 
belief!  How  did  you  get  them  ?" 

Henry  had  recovered  from  all  signs  of  his  struggle 
with  the  renegade,  and  was  now  sitting  placidly  in  a 
chair. 

"  I  took  them,"  he  said.  "  I  found  Braxton 
jWyatt  in  the  grove  around  the  house  of  Alvarez, 
and  I  seized  him.  I  found  these  in  the  lining  of 
his  waistcoat." 

"You  did  not  kill  him?" 

"  Oh,  no.     He  is  not  hurt." 

"  It  is  well.  I  did  not  wish  any  unnecessary 
violence,  but  we  had  a  right  to  seize  these  documents 
which  mean  so  much  to  us  and  Bernardo  Galvez. 
You  will  leave  them  with  me." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Henry.  "  And  now  that  this 
task  is  finished,  I'll  go  back  to  prison  with  my  com 
rades." 

u  It's  unnecessary  for  you  to  join  them  there,"  said 
the  merchant  still  laughing  in  his  pleasure.  "  I'll 
have  them  out  to  join  you,  and  that  speedily,  too. 
Go  into  the  next  room  and  sleep.  You've  earned 
the  right  to  it." 

The  five,  reduced  to  four,  were  sitting  in  their 
prison  the  next  afternoon  chafing  more  than  ever. 
It  seemed  to  every  one  of  them  that  those  walls, 
already  so  narrow,  were  still  contracting.  They  did 
not  even  like  to  look  out  of  the  window.  The  con 
trast  was  too  painful,  and  they  did  not  wish  to  in 
crease  their  sorrow. 

"Jim,"  said  Shif 'less  Sol  in  plaintive  tones  to 
291 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Long  Jim  Hart,  "  won't  you  please  come  here,  an' 
hold  up  my  head?  " 

"  Now,  Sol  Hyde,"  said  Long  Jim,  u  what  do  you 
want  me  to  come  thar  an'  hold  up  your  head  fur? 
Are  you  too  lazy  to  hold  it  up  fur  yourself?  " 

"  No,  Jim,  I  ain't  too  lazy  to  hold  it  up  fur  my 
self,  I'm  jest  too  weak.  Lack  o'  exercise  an'  fresh 
air,  an'  elbow  room  hev  done  fur  poor  Sol  Hyde  at 
last.  I'm  pinin'  away.  Tell  Henry  when  he  comes 
back,  ef  he  ever  does,  that  I  fell  into  a  decline.  I 
done  my  best  to  b'ar  up,  but  my  best  wuzn't  good 
enough." 

"  Now  you  shut  up,  Sol  Hyde,"  said  Jim  Hart, 
"  or  you'll  hev  me  down  real  sick  with  your  foolish 
talk,  ez  I  jest  can't  stand  it." 

They  stopped  because  at  that  moment  there  came 
unto  them  Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal,  fresh,  chipper, 
with  a  few  additional  flounces  and  ruffles  added  to 
his  jaunty  uniform,  and  a  smile  upon  his  dark, 
pleasant  face. 

"  Ah,  my  gallant  four,  who  were  once  my  gallant 
five,"  he  said  as  he  stroked,  his  little  mustache,  "  I 
have  news  for  you,  important  news.  You  are  even 
to  be  summoned  again  to  the  presence  of  His  Ex 
cellency,  Bernardo  Galvez,  the  Governor  General  of 
Louisiana,  and  that  summons  is  immediate.  I  have 
an  impression,  though  my  impressions  are  usually 
false  and  my  memory  always  weak,  that  the  large 
youth,  the  strong  youth,  the  splendid  youth,  sur- 
named  the  Ware,  who  was  released  for  the  time  at 
the  intercession  of  Serior  Pollock,  has  been  achieving 

292 


THE  FLAW  IN  THE  ARMOR 

something.  This,  I  think,  is  the  reason  of  the 
sudden  call  to  the  audience  with  His  Excellency." 

Paul  was  all  life  at  once.  He  sprang  up,  his  eyes 
sparkling  and  the  flush  of  anticipation  coming  into 
his  face. 

"  Henry  has  succeeded!"  he  cried.  "  He  has 
done  something  big!  I  knew  he  would!  He  has 
defeated  Alvarez  and  that  wretch  Wyatt !  " 

The  Catalan  regarded  Paul  with  admiration.  He 
liked  this  enthusiasm,  this  infinite  trust  in  a  comrade. 
The  five  and  their  faith  in  one  another  continued  to 
make  the  strongest  of  appeals  to  him. 

"  I  think  it  is  even  so,"  he  said.  "  The  young 
giant  surnamed  the  Ware,  must  have  done  a  great 
deed,  because  Don  Francisco  Alvarez  is  summoned, 
at  the  same  time,  to  the  presence  of  His  Excellency, 
the  Governor  General,  Bernardo  Galvez,  and  I  hear 
that  he  is  in  no  pleasant  frame  of  mind  because  of  it. 
Come !  " 

The  four  went  forth  joyfully.  Shi f 'less  Sol  was 
the  first  to  put  foot  on  Mother  Earth,  and  he 
stopped,  raised  his  head,  and  opened  his  mouth  to 
its  widest  extent. 

u  Jim,"  he  said  to  Long  Jim  Hart,  "  I  want  to 
breathe  it  in,  this  outdoors  an'  fresh  air  an'  freedom, 
everywhar  I  kin,  at  my  mouth,  nose,  ears,  an'  eyes, 
too,  ef  they're  any  good  at  that  sort  o'  business." 

"  An'  at  the  pores,  too,  Sol,"  said  Paul. 

"  What's  pores?" 

"  Millions  and  millions  of  fine  little  holes  all  over 
you." 

293 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  Wa'll,  I  ain't  ever  seed  any  o'  them  holes,  or 
felt  'em,  but  ef  they're  in  me  I  hope  they're  all  work- 
in'  right  now,  drawin'  the  good  fresh  air." 

Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal  led  the  way  rapidly  to 
the  house  of  the  Governor  General,  and  four  sol 
diers  closed  up  by  the  side  of  them  as  an  escort  and 
guard.  But  the  four  had  no  thought  of  attempting 
escape.  Their  minds  were  wholly  occupied  with 
what  might  occur  when  they  were  a  second  time  in 
the  presence  of  the  Governor  General. 

They  were  taken  through  the  anteroom  and  then 
into  the  large  hall  of  audience  where  the  Governor 
General  sat,  as  before,  in  the  great  chair  with  his 
secretary  at  the  little  table  at  his  right.  At  one  side 
of  the  room  were  Francisco  Alvarez  and  Braxton 
Wyatt,  both  frowning,  and  at  the  other  side  were 
Oliver  Pollock  and  Henry  Ware,  neither  frowning 
at  all.  Henry  came  forward  and  shook  hands 
warmly  with  his  comrades. 

"  What  is  it,  Henry?  "  whispered  Paul.  "  What 
has  happened?  " 

"  Wait,"  replied  Henry  in  a  similar  whisper. 
"  We  must  see  what  Bernardo  Galvez  is  going  to 
do." 

The  Governor  General  motioned  the  four,  now 
the  five  once  more,  to  seats,  and  they  noticed  that  the 
audience  was  marked  by  unusual  state.  Two  sol 
diers,  as  a  guard,  stood  near  one  of  the  windows,  and 
the  secretary  was  ready  with  his  ink  and  goose  quills 
to  write  down  whatever  he  might  be  ordered  to  write. 
Alvarez  and  Braxton  Wyatt  were  visibly  uneasy. 

294 


THE  FLAW  IN  THE  ARMOR 

Bernardo  Galvez  sat  upright,  his  face  stern,  his  look 
commanding.  He  was  every  inch  of  him  a  Governor 
General. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said  speaking  in  precise  English, 
"  a  charge  was  made  in  this  chamber  some  days  since, 
a  charge  involving  the  integrity  and  loyalty  of  a 
high  officer  in  the  service  of  Spain,  Don  Francisco 
Alvarez.  This  charge  was  made  by  five  men  and 
youths  from  the  new  region  called  by  themselves 
Kentucky  and  known  here  as  Kaintock,  but  they 
brought  little  proof  to  support  it." 

Francisco  Alvarez  moved  his  chair,  and  a  look  of 
relief  came  over  his  face.  The  opening  promised 
well.  The  expressions  of  Henry  Ware  and  Oliver 
Pollock  did  not  change,  and  Bernardo  Galvez  con 
tinued: 

"  I  could  not  hold  an  officer  of  Spain,  one  high  in 
the  service,  upon  such  charges,  when  they  were  with 
out  sufficient  support,  and  hence,  as  these  five  men 
and  boys  had  committed  acts  of  violence  upon  Span 
ish  soil  and  against  Spanish  subjects,  I  sent  them  to 
a  military  prison,  pending  further  disclosures  if  there 
should  be  any,  and  I  have  held  Don  Francisco 
Alvarez  in  New  Orleans  in  order  that  he  might  clear 
his  good  name  of  these  charges  and  of  certain  talk 
that  has  been  afloat  concerning  him." 

Alvarez  stirred  again  and  his  expression  changed 
slightly.  The  continuation  was  not  quite  as  good 
as  the  beginning.  Did  he  not  detect  a  slight  under 
tone  of  irony  or  satire  in  the  voice  of  Bernardo  Gal 
vez?  But  neither  Henry  Ware  nor  Oliver  Pollock 

295 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

moved  a  particle.     The  four  looked  curiously  from 
one  to  another  of  the  actors  in  this  tense  scene. 

"  It  was  my  object,"  resumed  Bernardo  Galvez, 
and  now  his  tone  had  a  curious  hard  quality  like 
steel,  "  to  find  the  truth.  Only  in  that  way  could 
justice  be  done.  Now  I  have  to  say  that  proof  of 
these  charges,  not  conclusive,  but  incriminating 
nevertheless,  has  been  found,  and  is  in  my  posses 
sion." 

Alvarez  leaped  from  his  chair.  He  felt  as  if  he 
had  received  a  blow  of  a  hammer  on  his  temple,  but 
he  cried  out : 

"  It  is  not  true!  there  can  be  no  such  proof!  " 

"  It  is  true,"  said  Bernardo  Galvez  sternly  and 
accusingly,  "  because  I  hold  this  evidence  here  in 
my  hand.  The  war-maps  which  you  are  charged 
with  having,  drawn  by  the  one  Wyatt,  the  friend  of 
the  Indians,  and  annotated  in  your  hand,  are  here." 

He  opened  his  palm  and  laid  the  strips  of  deer 
skin  upon  the  table.  Alvarez  staggered  back  and 
looked  savagely  at  Braxton  Wyatt. 

"  It  is  true,"  stammered  the  renegade  in  a  whisper. 
"  I  was  set  upon  last  night  by  Ware!  He  took  me 
by  surprise  and  robbed  me  of  them !  I  could  not 
help  it,  but  I  was  afraid  to  tell  you  then." 

"  I  knew  that  Henry  would  find  a  way!  I  knew 
it!  "  Paul  was  murmuring  to  himself. 

"  What  of  these  maps,  Don  Francisco  Alvarez?  " 
said  the  Governor  General. 

The  bold  and  flexible  Spaniard  quickly  recovered 
himself. 

296 


THE  FLAW  IN  THE  ARMOR 

"  Maps  do  not  mean  anything,"  he  said.  "  Any 
military  officer  provides  himself  with  them  whenever 
he  can.  He  need  not  be  at  war  with  a  country  to  se 
cure  them." 

"  No,  not  in  the  case  of  ordinary  maps,  but  here 
we  have  plans  for  an  attack  upon  the  settlements  in 
Kaintock.  I  find  noted  by  the  side  of  one  station  in 
your  handwriting :  '  Could  be  destroyed  easily  with 
two  cannon.'  It  is  obvious  that  you  have  exceeded 
your  authority.  How  much  further  you  have  gone 
is  to  be  seen." 

4  Your  Excellency,  I  protest  against" — began 
Alvarez,  but  at  that  moment  the  door  was  opened 
and  Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal  appeared  upon  the 
threshold. 

"What  is  this  interruption?  How  dare  you?" 
exclaimed  the  Governor  General. 

But  the  little  Catalan  was  never  more  thoroughly 
master  of  himself.  His  uniform  was  never  more 
resplendent,  and  the  lace  at  throat  and  sleeves  never 
fuller.  He  bore  himself,  too,  with  the  utmost  dig 
nity  because  he  knew  that  he  was  about  to  make  an 
announcement  of  the  utmost  importance.  More 
over,  he  was  a  favorite  with  Bernardo  Galvez. 

"  Your  Excellency,"  he  said,  with  dramatic  ef 
fect,  "  a  man  has  come  craving  immediate  audience 
with  you.  He  says  that  his  news  cannot  wait,  and, 
in  order  to  secure  entrance  at  once  to  your  presence, 
he  has  given  me  the  purport  of  it.  He  is  here  now." 

A  tall  figure  in  a  black  robe,  the  face  thin  and 
austere,  walked  boldly  into  the  room.  Mighty  was 

297 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

the  power  of  Holy  Church  in  the  colonies  of  France 
and  Spain  and  this  priest  who  expected  torture  and 
death  some  day  feared  neither  Bernardo  Galvez  nor 
anybody  else. 

u  Father  Montigny!  "  exclaimed  every  one  of  the 
five  and,  "Father  Montigny!"  repeated  Francisco 
Alvarez  and  Braxton  Wyatt.  Bernardo  Galvez 
rose  from  his  chair  and  saluted  the  priest  courte 
ously.  He  knew  him  well. 

"  What  is  this  business,  so  urgent  in  its  nature, 
Father,"  said  the  Governor  General. 

"  I  came  to  Beaulieu  when  Captain  Alvarez  had 
set  the  bully  upon  this  youth,"  said  Father  Montigny, 
pointing  to  Paul. 

"  I  have  already  acknowledged  my  fault  there," 
exclaimed  Alvarez.  "  It  was  an  impulse!  Need  I 
be  accused  of  it  again?  " 

Father  Montigny  turned  his  gaze  upon  Alvarez, 
and  the  Captain,  bold  as  he  was,  feared  it  more  than 
that  of  Bernardo  Galvez. 

*  That  is  but  a  preamble,"  continued  the  priest, 
the  Governor  General  not  noticing  the  interruption, 
"  but  it  caused  me  to  take  especial  notice  of  what 
might  be  occurring  in  Louisiana  at  the  furthest  limits 
of  settlement.  I  went  thence  among  the  Cherokees 
and  Creeks  and  kindred  tribes  and  I  found  them 
stirred  by  a  great  emotion.  They  were  preparing  for 
the  war  trail.  Messengers  had  come  from  tribes  in 
the  far  north,  Shawnees,  Miamis,  Wyandots,  and 
others,  whom  they  have  fought  for  generations  in 
the  region,  lying  between  them,  known  to  them  as 

298 


THE  FLAW  IN  THE  ARMOR 

the  Dark  and  Bloody  Ground,  and  to  us  as  Kain 
tock." 

Francisco  Alvarez  suddenly  paled,  and  looked 
away  from  the  priest. 

"What  was  the  purport  of  these  messages?" 
asked  Bernardo  Galvez. 

"  That  there  must  be  peace  for  the  time  being  be 
tween  the  northern  and  southern  tribes.  The 
northern  tribes  would  march  south  and  the  southern 
would  march  north.  When  they  met  they  would  be 
joined  also  by  Spanish  soldiers  with  cannon,  and  the 
three  forces  would  destroy  forever  the  new  white 
settlements  in  Kaintock." 

The  pallor  of  Alvarez  deepened,  but  Oliver  Pol 
lock  still  sat  immovable,  his  expression  not  chang 
ing.  Bernardo  Galvez  looked  straight  at  Alvarez, 
and  there  was  lightning  in  his  gaze. 

"  How  was  this  alliance  formed?"  asked  the 
Governor  General.  "  Some  powerful  connection, 
some  strong  intermediary,  must  have  drawn  these 
warring  northern  and  southern  tribes  together. 
And  above  all  why  did  they  expect  Spanish  troops 
and  Spanish  cannon?  " 

"  There  was  a  letter,"  replied  the  priest  in  a  grave% 
sad  tone,  "  a  letter  written  by  a  Spanish  officer,  high 
in  position  and  distinction.  It  was  sent  to  Red 
Eagle,  head  chief  of  the  Shawnees,  and  Yellow 
Panther,  head  chief  of  the  Miamis.  The  writer  said 
that  he  would  soon  be  Governor  General  of  Louisi 
ana  and  that  Spain  would  then  help  the  Indians  to 
destroy  Kaintock." 

299 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  It  is  a  lie !  "  continued  Alvarez.  "  There  is  no 
such  letter." 

"  It  is  no  lie,"  continued  the  priest  calmly. 
;( There  is  such  a  letter.  The  great  chiefs,  Red 
Eagle  and  Yellow  Panther,  as  proof  of  the  promise, 
sent  it  south  to  the  Cherokees  and  Creeks,  among 
whom  I  have  been.  I  have  seen  it,  I  have  read  it, 
I  have  it,  and  to  you,  Bernardo  Galvez,  I  now  give  it. 
It  is  signed  by  Don  Francisco  Alvarez." 

Father  Montigny  drew  a  letter  from  his  robe  and 
handed  it  to  the  Governor  General.  Francisco  Ak 
varez  fell  back  in  his  chair  as  if  he  had  been  struck 
by  a  thunder-bolt.  And  it  was  little  less.  The  let 
ter  that  he  had  sent  into  the  vast  Northern  wilder 
ness,  and  which  he  considered  as  obscure  as  one  leaf 
among  millions,  had  come  back  to  convict  him.  The 
one  flaw  in  the  armor  of  his  wild  ambition  had  been 
found.  He  cast  a  baleful  look  at  the  priest  and  was 
silent.  It  was  not  worth  while  now  to  deny  any 
thing. 

Bernardo  Galvez  read  the  letter  and  read  it  again. 
Then  he  folded  it  and  put  it  in  his  pocket. 

"  It  is  enough,"  he  said,  "  Francisco  Alvarez,  you 
are  guilty  of  attempting  to  usurp  to  yourself  the  pow 
ers  that  belong  only  to  his  Majesty,  the  King  of 
Spain.  I  can  conceive  of  a  man  of  your  knowledge 
and  craft  writing  such  a  letter  as  this  upon  only  one 
possibility,  and  that  possibility  has  passed.  The  gal 
leon,  Dona  Isabel,  from  Spain  came  this  morning  up 
the  Mississippi  and  she  brings  letters  from  Madrid. 
Your  friends  at  the  court,  powerful  as  they  are,  have 

300 


THE  FLAW  IN  THE  ARMOR 

failed.  You  are  not  to  be  the  Governor  General 
of  Louisiana.  I  am  confirmed  in  my  appointment 
and  you  remain  under  my  authority." 

;4  What  do  you  intend  to  do?  "  asked  Alvarez. 

The  words  came  from  a  dry  throat,  and  they  had 
a  harsh,  rasping  sound. 

"  The  galleon,  Dona  Isabel,  returns  to  Spain  next 
week.  You  will  remain  a  prisoner  in  one  of  the  forts 
until  then,  when  you  are  to  go  to  Spain  on  the  galleon 
to  answer  there  for  your  acts  here.  The  man, 
Wyatt,  is  not  a  Spanish  subject,  but  he  must  leave 
New  Orleans  within  an  hour.  The  five  who  have 
been  held  in  the  fort  are  released  from  this  moment. 
Lieutenant  Bernal,  take  away  the  prisoner." 

It  was  the  cause  of  intense  gratification  to  Lieu 
tenant  Diego  Bernal  that  he  had  been  permitted  to 
see  the  last  and  most  striking  part  of  this  drama. 
Francisco  Alvarez  had  treated  him  with  scorn  more 
than  once,  and  it  was  not  his  part  or  that  of  Bernardo 
Galvez  to  insult  a  fallen  enemy.  He  merely  put  his 
hand  lightly  on  the  sleeve  of  Alvarez,  and  the  pris 
oner,  without  a  word,  followed  him. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

NORTHWARD   WITH   THE    FLEET 

WHEN  Alvarez  was  gone,  the  five  rose  and 
thanked  the  Governor  General.  They, 
too,  did  not  wish  to  rejoice  over  a  fallen 
foe,  but  it  was  the  moment  of  their  complete  triumph. 
Success  had  come  better  than  they  had  ever  hoped 
and  the  great  three-faced  conspiracy  was  shattered. 
It  was  Spanish  cannon  that  they  had  dreaded  and 
now  they  could  not  thunder  against  the  wooden  walls 
in  Kentucky.  They  crowded  around  the  priest,  too, 
and  shook  his  hand  and  were  grateful  for  his  timely 
assistance.  He  had  come  at  the  most  opportune  of 
all  moments. 

It  was  Paul  who  acted  as  spokesman  for  them 
with  Bernardo  Galvez. 

u  Your  Excellency,  we  came  this  vast  distance 
confiding  in  your  justice,  and  we  have  found  our 
confidence  well  placed,"  he  said. 

Bernardo  Galvez  smiled.  It  was  a  moment  of 
triumph  for  him,  too.  A  bold  conspiracy  against 
him  had  been  crushed,  and  the  five  had  been  the  chief 
instruments  in  the  crushing  of  it.  Even  without  the 
aid  of  his  good  heart,  his  feelings  toward  them  would 
have  been  very  kindly. 

302 


NORTHWARD  WITH  THE  FLEET 

"If  New  Orleans  has  proved  inhospitable  to  you 
for  a  time,"  he  said,  "  she  is  now  ready  to  make 
atonement.  Your  good  friend,  Mr.  Pollock,  will 
care  for  you." 

The  five  withdrew  with  the  merchant,  still  elated, 
still  feeling  the  full  sense  of  victory.  Mr.  Pollock 
had  been  very  quiet  but  when  they  reached  the  open 
air  he  burst  forth. 

"  Lads,"  he  said,  "  'tis  a  great  task  that  you  have 
done.  You  have  saved  Kentucky  —  and  these 
things  are  far-reaching  —  you  may  have  saved  all 
the  colonies  beside.  If  the  Mississippi  had  been 
closed  to  us  we  could  not  reach  our  friends  in  the 
east  with  the  supplies  that  they  need  so  badly.  But 
I  can't  say  more.  You  were  surely  inspired  when 
you  set  out  upon  this  errand,  and  there  is  a  tremen 
dous  debt  of  gratitude  coming  to  you." 

He  shook  hands  with  them  all,  one  by  one.  But 
Long  Jim  heaved  a  mighty  sigh  of  relief. 

"Is  it  all  over,  Paul?"  he  asked. 

"  I  think  so,  Jim.  We  seem  to  have  destroyed  for 
good  and  all  the  great  three-cornered  conspiracy 
against  us." 

"  Then,"  said  Jim,  "  ef  it's  all  done  I  want  to 
talk  sense.  I'm  in  favor  uv  our  startin'  to  Kentucky 
right  away,  that  is,  in  about  five  minutes.  Them  big 
woods  keep  callin'  to  me.  I  heard  'em  callin'  last 
night  in  my  dreams,  an'  I  hear  'em  callin'  now  when 
I'm  awake.  I've  breathed  indoor  air  long  enough. 
It's  layin'  heavy  on  my  lungs,  an'  I  want  to  put  in  its 
place  air  that's  swep'  clean  across  from  the  Pacific 

303 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Ocean  an'  that  ain't  hit  nothin'   foul  on  the  way." 

"  Five  minutes  is  too  short  notice,  Jim,"  laughed 
Paul,  "  but  we'll  surely  start  soon,  though  it's  a 
tremendously  long  tramp  through  the  woods  and 
even  if  we  had  '  The  Galleon  '  we'd  have  to  pull  and 
sail  against  the  current." 

Oliver  Pollock  was  watching  them  as  they  talked 
and  his  eyes  gleamed,  but  he  said  nothing  until  they 
were  within  his  house,  where  he  took  them  and  gave 
them  refreshments.  There  he  had  a  proposition  to 
make. 

'*  The  boat,  of  course,  you  have  lost,"  he  said, 
"  as  it  belongs  to  Spain,  but  your  arms  and  other 
equipment  are  all  in  my  possession  —  they  were  given 
to  me  to  keep  for  you.  But  our  fleet  of  canoes 
loaded  with  arms  and  supplies  will  start  north  in 
three  days.  Will  you  go  on  it?  Not  to  work,  not 
to  paddle,  unless  you  wish,  but  to  guide  and  to  fight. 
It  is  no  favor  that  I  am  conferring  upon  you,  but 
one  that  you  can  confer  upon  me  if  you  will.  We 
need  such  as  you  and  with  you  I  shall  feel  that  the 
fleet  is  safer." 

It  was  a  most  welcome  offer.  They  could  serve 
the  cause  and  themselves  at  the  same  time.  All 
things  seemed  to  fall  out  as  they  wished. 

"  Sir,  we  thank  you,"  said  Henry  speaking  for 
them  all.  "  You  do  not  have  to  make  such  an  offer 
twice." 

"  Good !  Good !  "  said  Oliver  Pollock.  "  Then 
the  main  feature  of  the  bargain  is  closed  and  now 
I  must  have  you  to  know  the  captain  of  the  fleet. 

304 


NORTHWARD  WITH  THE  FLEET 

Oh,  I  think  that  you  will  agree  with  him  famously. 
He  will  be  in  charge  of  the  navigation  and  the  fleet, 
though  not  of  you.  You  are  to  remain  in  your  role 
of  free  rangers." 

He  clapped  his  hand  upon  a  little  bell  on  the 
table  and  one  of  the  stalwart,  sunbrowned  clerks 
entered. 

"  Bring  in  Captain  Colfax.  I  want  him  to  make 
some  new  friends,"  said  Oliver  Pollock,  who  was  in 
the  greatest  of  good  humors. 

Captain  Adam  Colfax  of  New  Hampshire,  who 
found  the  climate  of  New  Orleans  very  warm,  came 
in  in  a  minute  or  two,  and  his  was  a  figure  to  attract 
the  attention  of  anybody.  Middle  aged,  nearly  as 
tall  as  Jim  Hart,  red  haired,  with  a  sharp  little  tuft 
of  red  whisker  on  his  chin,  and  with  features  that 
seemed  to  be  carved  out  of  some  kind  of  metal,  he 
was  a  combination  of  the  seaman  and  landsman,  as 
tough  and  wiry  as  they  ever  grow  to  be.  He  re 
garded  Oliver  Pollock  out  of  twinkling  little  blue 
eyes  that  could  be  merry  or  severe,  as  they  pleased. 

"  Captain  Colfax,"  said  Oliver  Pollock,  "  These 
are  the  five  from  Kentucky  of  whom  you  heard. 
They  are  to  go  with  you  on  your  great  journey  as 
far  as  Kentucky,  but  they  are  to  do  as  they  please. 
They  are  scouts,  warriors,  and  free  rangers.  You 
will  find  them  of  great  service." 

He  introduced  them  one  by  one,  and  Adam  Col 
fax  gave  them  a  hearty  grip  with  a  hand  which 
seemed  to  be  made  of  woven  steel  wire. 

"  Good  woodsmen  and  good  riflemen  I  take  it,11 
305 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

he  said,  "  and  we  may  need  both.  I  hear  that  the 
Creeks,  Cherokees,  and  others,  are  feeling  full  of 
fight.  Now,  I  ain't  looking  for  a  fight,  but  if  it 
happens  to  get  in  my  way  I'm  not  running  from  it." 
1  You  old  war  horse,"  said  Oliver  Pollock, 
laughing,  "  it's  your  business  to  get  these  supplies 
through,  not  to  be  shooting  at  Indians.  I  wish  I 
could  go  with  you.  It's  a  wonderful  journey,  but 
I  have  to  stay  here  in  New  Orleans.  This  is  the 
gate  and  we  must  see  that  it  is  not  closed.  How 
many  canoes  and  boats  have  we  now,  Adam?  " 

"  About  sixty,  and  they  are  manned  by  at  least 
three  hundred  men.  As  I  see  it,  we  can  take  care 
of  ourselves." 

"  Adam,"  said  Mr.  Pollock  laughing,  "  I  believe 
you're  really  looking  for  a  fight." 

Adam  Colfax  showed  two  rows  of  fine,  white 
teeth,  but  said  nothing.  After  a  little  more  hearty 
talk  he  went  away  to  look  after  his  fleet,  and  Mr. 
Pollock  made  arrangements  for  the  five  to  stay  at 
his  house  until  their  departure  north.  They  were 
to  occupy  a  single  big  room,  and  their  rifles,  other 
arms,  and  general  equipment  were  already  there 
waiting  for  them. 

"  I'll  miss  '  The  Galleon,'  "  said  Paul,  "  I'd  like 
to  be  going  back  in  her.  I  suppose  it's  sentiment, 
but  I  became  attached  to  that  boat." 

"  She  wuz  shorely  comf'table,"  said  Shif'less  Sol. 
"  I  had  a  good  time  floatin'  down  her  on  the  Missip'. 
Now  I  reckon  Jim  here  will  hev  to  row  me  or  paddle 
me  all  the  way  back  to  Kaintuck." 

306 


NORTHWARD  WITH  THE  FLEET 

"  Ef  you  wait  fur  me  to  row  or  paddle  you,  you 
won't  ever  travel  more'n  six  inches,"  said  Long  Jim. 

"Jest  like  you,  Jim;  you  ain't  got  no  gratitood 
at  all  fur  me  gittin'  you  away  from  New  Orlee- 
yuns." 

Paul,  who  had  been  speaking  to  Henry  in  a  low 
tone,  now  turned  again  to  Mr.  Pollock. 

"  There  is  one  more  thing  that  we  want  you  to 
do  for  us,  if  you  will,  Mr.  Pollock,"  he  said.  "  We 
took  the  boat  from  Alvarez  because  he  attacked  us 
first,  and  we  put  it  to  what  we  think  was  a  good 
use.  But  it  really  belonged  to  Spain  and  Bernardo 
Galvez.  So  if  any  wages  are  coming  to  us  we  wish 
that  you  would  take  enough  in  advance  and  pay  the 
Governor  General  for  the  use  of  the  boat  and  what 
stores  we  may  have  consumed." 

"It  shall  be  done,"  said  Oliver  Pollock,  "and 
I  like  your  spirit  in  wishing  it  to  be  done." 

It  was  a  promise  that  he  kept  faithfully. 

When  they  reached  their  room  they  found  their 
rifles  and  other  arms  in  perfect  order.  Lieutenant 
Diego  Bernal  had  taken  good  care  of  them.  Long 
Jim  picked  up  his  rifle  and  handled  it  lovingly. 

"  It  feels  good  jest  to  tech  it,"  he  said.  "  I  didn't 
think  I  could  ever  like  a  Spaniard  ez  well  ez  I  do 
that  thar  little  leftenant.  I'll  miss  him  when  we  go 
ploughin'  up  the  river." 

They  were  preparing  to  leave  the  room  and 
breathe  all  out  of  doors,  as  Sol  put  it,  when  they 
were  stopped  by  the  entrance  of  Father  Montigny. 
They  crowded  around  him,  expressing  anew  the  grat- 

307 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

rtude  that  they  had  shown  to  him  at  the  house  of  the 
Governor  General. 

"  It  was  really  you,  Father  Montigny,  who  saved 
everything,"  said  Paul. 

The  priest  smiled  and  shook  his  head. 

"  No,"  he  said,  u  it  was  not  I,  but  your  courage 
and  tenacity.  I  had  the  rare  good  fortune  to  find 
the  letter  among  the  Chickasaws  and  obtain  it.  It 
was  sent  by  the  Shawnees  and  Miamis  as  a  sort  of 
token,  a  war  belt  as  it  were.  It  was  only  a  remote 
chance  that  brought  it  back  to  New  Orleans,  and 
even  then  Alvarez  confidently  expected  to  be  Gover 
nor  General." 

"  What  will  become  of  Alvarez?  "  asked  Paul. 

"  It  is  the  plan  to  send  him  a  prisoner  to  Spain 
on  the  galleon,  Dona  Isabel,  as  you  know,  but  I 
fear  that  we  have  not  heard  the  last  of  him.  He  is 
a  man  of  fierce  temper,  and  now  he  is  wild  with 
rage  and  mortification.  Moreover,  he  has  many 
followers  here  in  New  Orleans.  All  the  desperadoes, 
adventurers,  former  galley  slaves,  and  others  of  that 
type  would  have  been  ready  to  rally  around  him. 
But  I  have  come  to  tell  you  good-bye.  I  go  again 
in  my  canoe  up  the  Mississippi." 

"  Can't  you  stay  a  while  in  New  Orleans  and 
rest?"  asked  Paul  —  the  sympathy  between  Paul 
and  the  priest  was  strong,  each  having  a  certain 
spiritual  quality  that  was  in  agreement. 

"  No,"  replied  Father  Montigny,  "  I  cannot  stay. 
You  came  on  your  task  in  spite  of  hardships  and 
dangers  because  you  felt  that  a  power  urged  you  to 

308 


NORTHWARD  WITH  THE  FLEET 

it.     Farewell.     We  may  meet  again  or  we  may  not, 
as  Heaven  wills." 

They  followed  him  to  the  door  and  when  he  was 
almost  out  of  sight  he  turned  and  waved  his  hand 
to  them. 

The  next  day  New  Orleans,  which  was  already 
deeply  stirred  by  news  of  the  plot  of  Alvarez  and 
its  discovery,  had  another  thrill.  It  was  Lieuten 
ant  Diego  Bernal  who  told  the  five  of  it  at  the 
counting  house  of  Oliver  Pollock. 

"  Francisco  Alvarez  has  escaped,"  he  said. 
"  The  watch  at  the  prison  was  none  too  strict;  it 
may  be  that  some  of  the  guards  themselves  were 
friends  of  his.  In  any  event,  he  is  gone  from  the 
city,  and  his  going  has  been  followed  by  the  depart 
ure  of  many  men  whom  New  Orleans  could  well 
spare.  But  whether  their  going  now  will  be  to  our 
benefit  I  cannot  tell." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say,"  asked  Henry,  "  that  all 
these  men  have  gone  away  to  join  Alvarez  in  some 
desperate  adventure?" 

"  I  have  an  impression,  although  my  impressions 
are  usually  false,"  replied  the  Lieutenant,  "  that 
such  is  the  case.  The  Chickasaws,  the  Creeks,  and 
other  tribes  of  these  regions  are  his  friends  because 
he  has  promised  them  much.  A  capable  officer  with 
a  hundred  desperate  white  men  at  his  back  and  a 
horde  of  Indians  might  create  stirring  events." 

The  five  became  very  thoughtful  over  what  he 
said,  but  when  Lieutenant  Diego  Bernal  was  taking 
his  leave  he  looked  at  them  rather  enviously. 

309 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

1  You  five  inspire  me  with  a  certain  jealousy," 
he  said.  "  I  have  an  impression,  although  my  im 
pressions  are  usually  wrong  and  my  memory  always 
weak,  that  you  are  strongly  attached  to  one  another, 
that  no  one  ever  hesitates  to  risk  death  for  the 
others,  that  you  are  bound  together  by  a  hundred 
ties,  and  that  you  act  together  for  the  common  good. 
Ah,  that  is  something  like  friendship,  real  friend 
ship.  I  should  like  to  be  one  of  a  band  like  yours, 
but  I  look  in  vain  for  such  a  thing  in  New  Orleans. " 

"  I  wish  that  you  were  going  with  us,"  said 
Henry  heartily. 

"  I  wish  it,  too.  Often  I  long  for  the  great  for 
ests  and  the  free  air  as  you  do,  but  my  service  is  due 
here  to  Bernardo  Galvez,  who  is  my  good  friend. 
But  it  is  pleasant  to  see  that  you  have  triumphed 
so  finely." 

;t  We  may  encounter  great  dangers  yet,"  said 
Henry. 

"  It  is  quite  likely,  but  I  have  an  impression,  and 
upon  this  occasion  at  least  I  am  sure  my  impression 
is  not  wrong,  that  you  will  overcome  them  as  you 
have  done  before." 

When  he  was  gone,  and  every  one  of  the  five  felt 
genuine  regret  at  his  departure,  they  went  down  to 
the  river,  where  their  fleet  was  anchored,  and  were 
welcomed  by  Adam  Colfax. 

"  We're  certainly  going  to-morrow,"  said  the  cap 
tain,  "  but  nobody  can  tell  when  we'll  get  to  Fort 
Pitt." 

It  was  indeed  a  fine  fleet  of  canoes  and  boats  to 
110 


NORTHWARD  WITH  THE  FLEET 

be  propelled  by  paddle,  oar,  and  sail,  and  it  bore  a 
most  precious  cargo.  Eight  of  the  larger  boats  car 
ried  a  twelve  pound  brass  cannon  apiece  to  be  used 
if  need  be  on  the  way,  but  destined  for  that  far-dis 
tant  and  struggling  army  in  the  northeast.  Stored 
in  the  other  boats  and  canoes  were  five  hundred  mus 
kets,  mostly  from  France,  barrels  of  powder,  scores 
of  bars  of  lead,  precious  medicines  worth  their  weight 
in  gold,  blankets,  cloth  for  uniforms  and  undercloth 
ing.  It  was  the  most  valuable  cargo  ever  started  up 
the  Mississippi  and  there  were  many  strong  and 
brave  men  to  guard  it. 

"  We  carry  things  both  to  kill  and  to  cure,"  said 
Paul. 

"  An'  we're  goin',  too !  "  said  Long  Jim,  heaving 
again  that  mighty  sigh  of  relief.  "  That's  the  big 
thing!" 

They  started  the  next  day  at  the  appointed  time. 
Henry,  Paul,  and  Long  Jim  were  in  one  of  the  lead 
ing  boats,  and  Tom  Ross  and  Shif'less  Sol  were  in 
another  near  them.  The  population  of  New  Orleans 
was  on  the  levee  to  see  them  go,  and  some  wished 
them  good  luck  and  many  wished  them  bad.  The 
majority  of  the  French  were  for  them,  and  the  ma 
jority  of  the  Spanish  against  them. 

But  the  five,  now  that  the  time  was  at  hand,  felt 
only  elation.  The  breeze  blew  strong  and  fresh 
over  the  mighty  river  that  came  from  their  beloved 
forests  and  vast  unknown  regions  beyond.  They 
seemed  to  feel  in  it  some  of  the  tang  and  sparkle  of 
the  north. 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  Good-bye,  New  Orleans,"  said  Jim  Hart,  wav 
ing  a  long  hand  on  a  long  arm;  "  I'm  glad  I've 
seed  you,  I'm  glad  I've  laid  my  weary  head  to  rest 
inside  your  walls  fur  a  few  nights,  but  I'm  glad  I 
don't  stay  in  you,  nor  in  any  other  town.  Good 
bye." 

One  of  the  brass  cannon  fired  a  salute,  cannon  on 
the  fort  and  the  galleon,  Dona  Isabel,  replied. 
Adam  Colfax  gave  the  word,  and  at  the  same  instant 
hundreds  of  oars  and  paddles  dipped  into  the  muddy 
current  of  the  Mississippi.  The  great  supply  fleet 
leaped  forward  as  if  it  were  one  whole,  and  soon 
New  Orleans  and  its  intrigues  sank  under  the  curve 
behind  them. 

Henry  and  Paul,  although  they  did  not  have  to 
work,  pulled  at  the  oars  with  the  others,  and  more 
than  one  man  noticed  how  the  mighty  muscles  of 
Henry  Ware's  arm  swelled  and  bunched  as  he  made 
the  boat  leap  forward.  But  they  did  not  maintain 
their  high  rate  of  speed  long.  As  the  rivers  ran  it 
Was  a  good  two  thousand  miles  to  Fort  Pitt,  and 
they  did  not  wish  to  exhaust  themselves  on  the  first 
twenty.  Long  Jim  at  last  let  his  oar  rest  and  patted 
Paul  joyfully  on  the  shoulder. 

"  Ain't  you  noticed  nothin',  Paul?  "  he  asked. 

"  I've  noticed  a  lot  of  river,  and  a  fine  little  fleet 


on  it." 


"  But  somethin'  better  than  that.  Look  at  the 
trees,  Paul,  all  along  on  either  side,  an'  not  a  house 
in  sight,  an'  not  a  human  bein'  'cept  ourselves,  not 
a  single  trail  uv  smoke  to  dirty  the  sky.  Nothin' 

312 


NORTHWARD  WITH  THE  FLEET 

but  the  woods  ez  God  made  'em.  I  tell  you,  Paul, 
it's  pow'ful  fine  jest  to  live!  " 

Paul  shared  his  enthusiasm,  but  his  feelings  went 
further.  Beyond  a  doubt  they  had  been  successful 
in  their  great  journey  to  the  south,  but  another  and 
large  purpose  was  yet  left.  Their  task  had  brought 
them  into  contact  with  the  world  outside,  and  Paul 
devoutly  hoped  that  the  supply  train  would  reach 
Fort  Pitt  in  time. 

The  day  went  smoothly  on.  The  fleet  kept  its 
formation  something  like  that  of  an  arrow,  with 
Adam  Colfax's  boat  the  point  of  the  arrow,  and 
those  containing  the  five  just  behind.  The  river 
assumed  a  wholly  wilderness  aspect.  Spanish  or 
French  boats  were  few  and  they  gave  the  fleet  a  wide 
berth.  Wild  fowl  swarmed  once  more,  and  they  saw 
a  bear  on  the  bank  regarding  them  with  a  half  wise, 
half  comic  countenance. 

When  the  sun  was  low  the  boats  containing  the 
five  were  turned  toward  the  land.  There  they  found 
a  cove  in  which  the  boats  could  be  safely  tied  and  a 
fine  grove  in  which  they  could  cook,  and  which  would 
also  furnish  a  good  place  for  those  who  wished  to 
sleep  ashore.  Henry  Ware  and  Shif'less  Sol  scouted 
in  the  country  about  but  saw  no  sign  of  anything 
that  might  disturb. 

All  five  slept  on  land  wrapped  in  their  blankets 
under  the  trees,  and  early  the  next  morning  the  jour 
ney  was  resumed.  Progress  could  not  be  rapid. 
They  had  to  face  the  slow,  heavy  current  of  the  Mis 
sissippi,  and  now  and  then  Henry  and  Shif'less  SoJ 

313 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

and  Tom  Ross  walked  through  the  woods  along  the 
shore.  They  early  established  their  reputations  as 
the  best  hunters  and  shots  in  the  fleet,  and  they  kept 
the  men  supplied  with  game,  bear,  deer,  and  water 
fowl. 

Several  days  passed  in  this  manner,  and  Henry 
noticed  that  people  were  even  scarcer  than  they  had 
been  when  they  were  coming  down.  Then  they  had 
seen  a  few,  now  not  more  than  two  or  three,  and 
these  avoided  them. 

"  I  don't  believe  they  are  really  friendly  to  us," 
said  Henry  to  Paul,  "  and  something  to  injure  us 
may  be  on  foot.  I  wish  that  we  were  beyond  the 
last  French  and  Spanish  settlement." 

"  We  are  too  strong  to  be  attacked,"  said  Paul,  "  I 
don't  think  we  have  anything  to  fear." 

Henry  shook  his  head  somewhat  doubtfully,  but 
he  said  nothing  more  on  the  subject  at  that  time, 
and  the  fleet  moved  steadily  on  without  event. 
Adam  Colfax  exercised  a  stern  discipline.  There 
were  wild  men  in  his  fleet,  adventurers,  fellows  who 
had  floated  about  the  world,  but  he  was  a  match  for 
any  of  them,  and  those  who  did  not  respect  his  voice 
feared  his  ready  hand.  But  even  these  were  ani 
mated  by  the  great  purpose  and  the  thrill  of  a  two- 
thousand  mile  journey  on  unknown  rivers  through 
a  vast  wilderness. 

Half  of  the  men  slept  ashore  every  night.  They 
would  build  great  fires,  cook  their  suppers,  and  then 
sit  around  awhile  talking.  Some  one  would  sing, 
and  others  v^ould  play  strange,  old  tunes  on  accor- 

314 


NORTHWARD  WITH  THE  FLEET 

dion  or  guitar.  Paul  heard  many  a  snatch  of  song 
in  Spanish  or  French  or  Portuguese,  and  the  wilder 
ness  would  lend  an  additional  charm  to  the  melody. 
Adam  Colfax,  stern  ruler  that  he  was,  never  forbade 
these  amusements. 

"  It  isn't  well  to  stop  up  things  too  tight,'1  he 
would  say.  "  Children  have  got  to  make  noise,  and 
men  are  a  good  deal  the  same  way.  If  you  seal  'em 
up  they'll  bust." 

These  evening  scenes  always  made  a  deep  impres 
sion  upon  Paul.  There  were  the  cheerful  fires, 
lighted  for  cooking,  and  now  dying  down  to  great 
beds  of  coals,  the  surrounding  darkness  seeming  to 
come  closer  and  closer,  but  within  it  a  wide  circle  of 
light  in  which  many  men  sat  or  reclined  at  ease, 
smoking  or  talking,  or  doing  both.  All  were  good- 
natured,  the  weather  was  fair  so  far,  the  journey  easy, 
the  work  not  excessively  hard,  and  the  hunters 
brought  in  fresh  game  in  plenty. 

They  passed  the  mouth  of  the  bayou  near  which 
the  Chateau  of  Beaulieu  stood,  and  Henry  and 
Shif'less  Sol  went  to  see  it.  They  found  a  small 
detachment  of  Spanish  soldiers  sent  by  Bernardo  Gal- 
vez  in  possession,  but  the  followers  of  Alvarez  had 
disappeared.  The  place  seemed  lonely  and  deserted, 
as  the  soldiers  of  Galvez  kept  close  to  the  house,  as 
if  they  were  afraid  of  the  wilderness. 

Henry  and  Shif'less  Sol  sped  back  through  the 
forest  toward  the  river. 

"  Now  I  wonder,"  said  Shif'less  Sol,  "  what  could 
hev  become  o'  that  Spanish  feller.  He  wuz  jest  the 

315 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

kind,  so  proud  he  wuz,  an'  thinkin'  so  much  o'  his- 
self,  to  be  burnin'  up  with  hate  over  what  has  hap 
pened/'' 

"  He  has  made  himself  an  outlaw,"  said  Henry, 
"  and  it's  my  opinion,  Sol,  that  he's  somewhere  in 
these  regions.  And  Braxton  Wyatt  is  with  him,  too. 
That  fellow  will  never  rest  in  his  plots  against  us. 
We'll  hear  from  them  both  again.  They'll  try  for 
some  sort  of  revenge." 

They  rejoined  the  boats  at  noon,  and  three  or 
four  hours  later  they  saw  a  canoe  ahead  of  them  upon 
the  water.  It  contained  two  occupants  who  graded 
their  speed  to  that  of  the  fleet,  keeping,  well  out  of 
rifle-shot. 

"What  do  you  take  them  to  be?"  called  out 
Adam  Colfax  to  Henry. 

"  Indians,  I  know,  and  spies,  I  think,"  replied 
Henry. 

Several  of  the  more  powerful  boats  moved  ahead 
of  the  fleet  and  endeavored  to  overtake  the  canoe, 
but  they  could  not.  The  two  Indians  who  occupied 
it  evidently  had  skill  and  powerful  arms,  as  they 
maintained  the  distance  between  themselves  and  their 
pursuers.  Henry  and  Paul,  stirred  by  the  interest 
of  the  chase,  also  seized  oars  and  pulled  hard,  but 
the  canoe  presently  turned  up  a  small  tributary  river, 
where  they  did  not  have  time  to  follow  it,  and  they 
saw  it  no  more. 

It  was  something  that  many  might  have  passed  as  a 
mere  incident  of  the  river,  but  Henry  did  not  forget 
it.  His  sixth  sense,  the  sense  of  danger,  as  it  were, 

316 


NORTHWARD  WITH  THE  FLEE1 

had  received  a  definite  impression,  and  he  paid  heed 
to  the  warning. 

That  afternoon  clouds  came  up  for  the  first  time. 
It  had  been  very  warm  on  the  river,  but  the  heat  and 
closeness  did  not  develop  into  a  rapid  storm  of 
thunder  and  lightning  as  so  often  happens  in  the 
Mississippi  valley.  Instead,  the  air  turned  colder, 
and  a  raw,  drizzling  rain  sst  it.  It  was  then  that 
they  appreciated  the  comfort  of  their  well-equipped 
boats.  Everybody  was  wrapped  up  and  protected, 
and  they  moved  steadily  on. 

Henry  and  Shif'less  Sol,  as  usual,  went  ashore 
later  on  to  seek  a  landing  place,  and  a  site  suitable 
for  a  camp,  as  it  was  considered  wise  always  to  give 
the  men  warm  food.  Presently  they  found  a  fairly 
well  sheltered  spot  near  the  shore,  a  slope  surrounded 
by  high  trees,  and  when  Adam  Colfax  received  the 
word  the  boats  were  tied  to  the  bank.  Some  tents 
were  pitched  in  the  opening,  and  with  considerable 
difficulty  the  fires  were  lighted.  A  drizzling  rain 
still  fell,  but  the  fires  finally  triumphed  over  it,  and 
blazed  and  crackled  merrily.  Nevertheless,  this 
lightness  and  merriment  were  not  communicated  to 
the  men,  who  shivered  in  the  wet,  drew  close  to  the 
flames,  and  had  downcast  faces.  All  the  five  were 
ashore  and  in  the  shadow  of  the  woods  they  held  a 
little  conference  of  their  own,  talking  with  great 
earnestness. 

"  I  think,"  said  Henry,  "  that  we're  being  watched 
and  that  there  is  danger,  great  danger.  One  never 
knows  wnat  the  wilderness  contains." 

317 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

"  Suppose  that  all  of  us  watch  the  night  through," 
said  Paul. 

"  No,"  said  Henry,  "  I  think,  Paul,  that  you  ought 
to  sleep  and  Long  Jim  should  do  so,  too.  There  are 
enough  without  you.  To-morrow  night  will  be  your 
turn.  We  shouldn't  waste  our  resources." 

This  satisfied  Paul  and  Jim,  and  soon  they  were 
asleep  in  one  of  the  tents,  but  Henry,  Shif'less  Sol, 
and  Tom  Ross  were  in  the  dripping  forest  outside 
Adam  Colfax's  own  line  of  sentinels,  seeking  the  hid 
den  danger.  The  three  remained  together,  and  they 
looked  everywhere.  They  were  on  the  east  bank 
and  there  was  nothing  but  forest.  The  moon  lay  be 
hind  sodden  clouds,  and  the  trees  were  dark  and 
shadowy.  Now  and  then  the  wind  swept  a  dash  of 
rain  in  their  faces,  and  the  air  remained  raw  and 
chill.  Sharp  as  were  their  eyes,  they  could  not  see 
very  far  into  the  forest,  but  they  could  see  behind 
them  the  flame  of  their  own  camp  fires,  a  core  of  light 
in  the  wilderness. 

"  It  might  be  better  to  put  out  all  those  fires,"  said 
Henry,  "  but  I  don't  believe  Captain  Colfax  would 
hear  to  it.  He  thinks  we're  too  strong  to  fear  any 
serious  attack." 

"  No,"  said  Shif'less  Sol,  "  he  wouldn't  do  it,  an' 
the  men  would  grumble,  too.  We've  got  to  be  the 
outside  guard  ourselves." 

The  three  kept  together,  continuing  their  steady 
patro]  in  a  semi-circle  about  the  camp,  the  side  of  the 
river  being  guarded  by  the  boats  themselves.  The,' 
rain  died  to  a  drizzle,  but  the  clouds  remained,  and 

318 


NORTHWARD  WITH  THE  FLEET 

the  skies  were  dark.  Hours  passed,  and  nearly 
everybody  slept  soundly  by  the  fires,  but  the  faithful 
three,  gliding  among  the  wet  trees  and  bushes,  still 
watched. 

They  heard  faint  noises  in  the  forest,  the  passage 
of  the  wind,  or  the  stir  of  a  wild  animal,  and  after  a 
While  they  heard  the  long,  plaintive  and  weird  note, 
•with  which  they  were  so  familiar,  the  howl  of  the 
wolf. 

It  was  characteristic  of  the  three  that  when  this 
faint  note,  almost  like  the  sigh  of  the  wind  among 
the  wet  trees,  reached  their  ears,  they  said  nothing, 
but  merely  stopped  and  in  the  obscurity  glanced  at 
one  another  with  eyes  of  understanding.  They 
listened  patiently,  and  the  low,  plaintive  howl  came 
again  and  then  once  more,  all  from  different  points 
of  the  compass.  There  had  been  a  time  when  Henry 
Ware  was  deceived  for  a  moment  by  these  cries,  but 
it  was  not  possible  now. 

"  It  must  be  a  gathering  of  the  southern  tribes," 
he  said,  u  and  I  imagine  that  Braxton  Wyatt  is  with 
them,  giving  them  advice.  Sol,  suppose  that  you  go 
to  the  right  and  Tom  to  the  left.  I'll  stay  in  the  cen 
ter,  and  if  any  one  of  us  sees  an  enemy  he's  to  shoot 
atj^and  rouse  the  camp." 

The  two  were  gone  in  an  instant,  and  Henry  was 
left  alone.  That  instant  all  the  old,  primeval  in 
stincts,  so  powerful  in  him,  were  aroused.  His 
sixth  sense,  the  sense  of  danger,  was  speaking  to  him 
in  a  voice  that  he  could  not  but  hear.  There,  too, 
was  the  quaver  of  the  wolf.  All  the  signals  of  alarm 

319 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

were  set,  and  he  resolved  that  he  should  be  the  first 
to  see  danger  when  it  showed  its  head. 

The  clouds  piled  in  heavier  masses  in  the  sky,  and 
the  darkness  thickened.  The  wind  blew  lightly  and 
its  sound  among  the  boughs  and  leaves  was  a  long, 
plaintive  sigh  that  had  in  it  a  tone  like  the  cry  of 
a  woman.  The  rain  came  only  in  gusts,  but  when 
it  struck  it  was  sharp  and  cold.  The  trees  stood 
out,  black  and  ill-defined,  like  skeletons.  But  the 
forest,  its  wet,  its  chill,  and  its  loneliness,  had  no  ef 
fect  upon  the  attuned  mind  of  Henry  Ware.,  He 
was  in  his  native  element,  and  every  nerve  in  him 
thrilled  with  the  knowledge  that  he  would  rise  to 
meet  the  crisis,  whatever  it  might  be. 

He  was  crouched  by  the  side  of  a  great  oak,  his 
form  blurring  with  its  trunk,  his  eyes,  now  used  to 
the  darkness,  searching  every  covert  in  front  —  he 
knew  that  Shif'less  Sol  and  Tom  Ross  would  watch 
to  right  and  left. 

The  cry  of  the  wolf  did  not  come  again,  save  for 
a  lone  note,  now  much  nearer.  But  when  its  sound 
passed  through  the  forest,  Henry  Ware's  form 
seemed  to  become  a  little  more  taut  and  he  leaned 
a  little  further  forward.  Beyond  the  slight  bending 
motion  he  did  not  stir. 

He  still  saw  nothing  and  heard  nothing,  but  that 
voice  which  was  his  sixth  sense  was  calling  to  him 
more  loudly  than  ever,  and  he  was  ready  to  respond. 

In  front  of  him,  thirty  yards  away,  lay  a  thicket 
of  undergrowth,  and  he  watched  it  incessantly.  It 
seemed  to  him  now  that  he  knew  every  bush  and 

320 


NORTHWARD  WITH  THE  FLEE1 

briar  and  vine.  Presently  a  briar  moved,  and  then 
a  bush,  and  then  a  vine,  but  they  moved  against  the 
wind,  and  the  sharp  eyes  of  the  watcher  saw  it.  He 
sank  a  little  lower  and  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle  stole 
forward.  He  made  not  the  slightest  sound,  and 
good  eyes,  only  a  few  yards  away,  could  not  have 
separated  his  dark  figure  from  that  of  the  tree  trunk. 

The  same  briar  and  bush  moved  a  third  time,  and, 
as  before,  against  the  wind.  It  did  not  escape  the 
notice  of  Henry  Ware.  Now  he  saw  a  sharp,  red 
nose  appear,  and  then  the  shaggy  head  behind  it. 

The  nose  remained  —  projected  and  lifted  in  the 
air,  a-sniff  to  catch  the  fleeting  scent  of  an  enemy. 
Fancy  could  readily  paint  the  ugly  head  of  the  lank 
body  behind  it.  But  Henry  Ware  was  not  deceived 
for  an  instant.  The  muzzle  of  the  rifle  that  had  been 
thrust  forward,  was  raised  now,  and  taking  swift 
aim,  he  fired. 

A  wild  and  terrible  cry  swelled  through  the  for 
est.  An  Indian  warrior  sprang  to  his  feet,  casting 
off  his  guise  of  a  wolfskin,  stood  perfectly  still  for 
a  moment,  and  then  fell  headlong  among  the  wet 
bushes.  The  cry  came  back  in  many  real  echoes,  the 
shouts  of  the  warriors  who  knew  now  that  there  was 
to  be  no  surprise  for  them.  Their  battle  cry  swelled 
in  volume,  fierce  with  anger,  but  Henry,  Shif'less  Sol, 
and  Tom  Ross  were  already  running  back  upon  the 
camp,  sounding  the  alarm,  and  the  men,  roused  from 
sleep,  were  springing  to  arms. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BANK 

WHAT  is  it?  what  is  it?  "  cried  Adam  Col- 
fax,  as  the  three  sentinels,  who  were 
worth  all  the  others  combined,  dashed 
into  the  camp. 

"  An  Indian  army !  "  replied  Henry  Ware.  "  We 
do  not  yet  know  how  strong,  but  we  have  seen  their 
scouts  !  hark  to  them  !  " 

The  fierce  war  whoop  rose  and  swelled  through  all 
the  forest,  died  away,  then  swelled  and  died  again. 
From  the  dark  wall  of  the  trees  came  the  crackling 
fire  of  rifles.  No  one  could  be  in  doubt  now. 

"  Out  with  the  fires!  Scatter  them,  trample  them 
down !  "  exclaimed  Henry. 

He  set  the  example,  kicking  the  wood  and  embers 
in  every  direction.  Adam  Colfax  was  not  one  to 
resent  such  a  sudden  assumption  of  authority,  when 
he  saw  that  it  meant  the  saving  of  human  lives.  He 
repeated  the  order  and  joined  in  the  work  himself. 
Fortunately  the  fires  had  burned  low  and  the  task 
was  soon  done,  but  not  before  two  or  three  men  had 
been  hit  by  bullets  from  the  surrounding  darkness. 

"  Lie  down,  everybody !"  cried  Henry,  and  the 
order  was  obeyed  at  once.  Then  the  strange  night 

322 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BANK 

battle  in  the  heart  of  the  wilderness  began.  The  sav 
ages,  after  their  first  attack,  ceased  to  shout,  and  the 
voyagers  on  their  own  part  made  little  noise.  But 
they  knew  that  the  assailing  force  was  numerous.  It 
rimmed  them  on  all  sides  save  that  of  the  river,  and 
the  little  pink  and  red  beads  of  fire  seemed  to  flash 
from  every  bush.  The  men  on  the  boats  swarmed 
to  the  shore,  but  Adam  Colfax  allowed  only  half 
of  them  to  come,  the  land  force  at  the  same  time 
falling  back  on  the  river  to  meet  them.  He  had  no 
mind  to  let  his  communications  be  cut. 

As  the  white  line  fell  back  the  red  came  on,  and 
uttered  again  the  long-drawn,  high-pitched  war 
whoop,  a  cry  of  exultation.  But  it  was  not  repeated, 
as  the  white  line  withdrew  only  to  the  bank,  and 
yielded  no  more.  Then  both  lines  lay  in  the  forest, 
faces  invisible,  but  the  pink  and  red  beads  of  op 
posing  fire  ran  back  and  forth  in  a  stream.  Now  and 
then,  even  in  the  darkness,  a  bullet  struck  true.  A 
groan  would  start  in  the  white  line,  but  it  would  be 
checked  at  the  lips,  because  these  were  men  too  proud 
to  give  expression  to  pain. 

"  They  can't  make  much  progress  in  this  way," 
said  Adam  Colfax  to  Henry,  who  had  crept  to  his 
side. 

"  They  can  make  it  terribly  wearing  by  keeping 
it  up  all  night." 

"  We  can  withdraw  to  the  boats  entirely  and  row 
away." 

"  I  wouldn't  do  it.  They're  sure  to  have  boats, 
too,  knowing  that  we  could  take  to  the  water,  and 

323 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

if  we  were  to  leave  here  they'd  take  it  as  a  sign  of 
victory  and  follow.  Then  we'd  have  another  and 
worse  fight." 

Adam  Colfax  was  of  the  same  opinion.  He  was 
not  in  favor  of  yielding  an  inch. 

"  I  think  I  can  see  some  of  their  figures  dancing 
about  there  among  the  bushes,"  he  whispered  to 
Henry. 

"  I  see  them,  too,"  replied  the  youth,  "  and  I  think 
that  I  see  white  men.  They  must  be  the  desperate 
gang  that  followed  Alvarez  out  of  New  Orleans." 

"  No  doubt  of  it." 

Adam  Colfax  presently  crept  down  the  river  bank, 
but  came  back  in  a  few  minutes. 

"  Now  we'll  see  something,"  he  whispered  to 
Henry,  and  what  the  cautious  leader  said  was  quick 
to  come  true. 

The  fire  of  both  sides  died  for  a  moment,  and  then 
came  a  heavy  crash  and  a  jet  of  fire  from  the  river; 
there  was  a  long,  shrill  scream  as  a  missile  curved 
high  over  the  white  line  and  dropped  in  the  red, 
where  it  burst,  flinging  red-hot  pieces  of  steel  in  a 
shower.  It  was  followed  instantly  by  another  re 
port,  another  jet  of  fire,  and  another  shower  of  metal 
in  the  bushes.  The  brass  twelve-pounders  on  the 
boat  had  opened  fire,  and  with  shot  after  shot  they 
were  searching  the  dark  thickets,  whence  cries  of 
rage  now  came. 

The  Americans  sent  up  shouts  of  triumph  and  re 
doubled  their  rifle  fire.  Many  of  the  more  zealous 
were  eager  to  creep  to  the  thickets  and  turn  the  de- 

324 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BANK 

fensive  into  the  offensive,  but  the  leaders  restrained 
them. 

"  No  use  to  waste  life  in  any  such  foolish  fashion," 
said  shrewd  Adam  Colfax.  "  While  we  stay  under 
the  cannon  they  won't  rush  us,  but  if  we  follow  them 
into  the  bushes  they'll  have  an  overwhelming  ad 
vantage." 

It  began  to  lighten  a  little,  but  the  wind  blew 
stronger  and  very  cold  for  the  time  of  the  year.  The 
red  line  was  withdrawn  further  into  the  forest,  but  it 
continued  an  intermittent  fire,  and  now  and  then 
uttered  a  challenging  war  whoop.  The  cannon  every 
ten  minutes  sent  a  shot  among  them,  but  whether  it 
did  any  damage  the  Americans  could  not  tell.  The 
defenders  saved  their  bullets,  firing  only  when  there 
seemed  to  be  a  chance  for  a  hit,  and  thus  the  hours 
dragged  their  leaden  weight  slowly  by. 

A  score  of  the  Americans  had  been  wounded  by 
the  rifle  fire,  but  in  most  cases  the  wounds  were 
slight.  Six  were  dead  and  they  were  taken  to  the 
boats,  where  stones  were  t  ed  to  them  and  they  were 
dropped  into  the  Mississippi  to  disappear  forever. 
Rovers,  adventurers,  masterless  men,  they  had  been, 
but  they  died  in  a  good  cause,  and  they  were  not 
without  mourners,  as  their  bodies  slid  into  the  brown 
waters. 

Adam  Colfax  had  coffee  made  on  several  of  the 
boats  provided  with  a  cooking  apparatus,  and  it  was 
served  in  the  darkness  to  those  who  fought  on  shore. 
One  man  had  the  tin  cup  shot  from  his  hand  as  he 
was  raising  it  to  his  lips,  but  he  calmly  called  for 

325 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

another,  and  when  he  had  drunk  it,  went  on  with  his 
part  of  the  battle. 

The  hot  coffee  heartened  them  wonderfully,  and 
the  ten  minute  cannon  shots  were  good  company. 
They  grew  to  look  for  them,  and  so  strong  is  habit, 
that  they  knew  almost  to  the  second  when  the  shot 
was  due.  It  was  like  a  slow,  steady  chorus,  cheering 
them  and  telling  them  to  hold  on. 

Far  toward  morning  there  was  a  tremendous  burst 
of  fire  from  the  thickets,  the  fierce,  high-pitched  war 
shout  was  repeated  three  times,  and  after  that,  silence. 
Then  the  darkness  sank  away,  and  the  day  came  in  a 
burst  of  red  and  gold,  gilding  river  and  forest. 

'  They  are  gone,"  said  Henry,  "  you'll  find  now 
that  the  woods  are  empty." 

Many  of  the  voyagers  rushed  into  the  forest  to 
discover  that  he  spoke  the  truth.  Nowhere  was  there 
a  sign  of  an  enemy.  No  tree  sheltered  a  warrior, 
the  thickets  were  harmless.  The  peaceful  morning 
breeze  had  no  note  of  warning  in  its  song.  But 
when  they  looked  more  closely  they  saw  that  many 
dark  stains  had  soaked  into  the  earth,  and  they  knew 
that  not  all  the  bullets  and  cannon  balls  had  gone 
amiss. 

"  Well,  we  drove  them  off  that  time,"  said  Adam 
Colfax  cheerfully.  '  They  found  that  they  couldn't 
surprise  us,  and  I  guess  they've  concluded  that  they 
couldn't  rush  us  either.  I  fancy  it's  the  last  we'll 
see  of  'em." 

Henry  shook  his  head,  and  Shi f 'less  Sol  and  Tom 
Ross,  who  were  standing  by,  also  shook  theirs. 

326 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BANK 

"  We're  pretty  sure  that  a  big  league  of  die 
southern  tribes  has  been  formed,"  Henry  said,  "  and 
there  are  also  many  white  men  with  them,  white  men 
who  are  driven  by  hate  and  revenge.  They'll  stick." 
'"  Then  we've  got  to  defend  this  fleet  to  the  last," 
said  Adam  Colfax.  "It's  bound  to  get  through; 
and  the  first  thing  I'll  have  done  is  to  cover  up  our 
barrels  of  powder,  so  no  fire  or  hot  bullets  can  reach 
it.  Those  barrels  of  powder  are  as  precious  as  gold." 

This  task  was  begun  at  once  and  everybody  re- 
embarked,  a  joyful  little  army  that  had  won  a  tri 
umph  and  that  felt  able  to  win  more  if  need  be.  The 
wounded  made  light  of  their  wounds  and  all  felt  new 
strength  and  courage  with  the  daylight.  The  five 
returned  with  the  others  to  their  boats. 

"Well,  Jim,"  said  Paul  to  Long  Jim  Hart, 
"  there's  trouble  to  be  found  away  from  New  Orleans 
as  well  as  in  it.  Last  night  was  not  so  very  peaceful, 
and  the  woods  did  contain  danger." 

Long  Jim  heaved  a  satisfied  sigh. 

"  Yes,  Paul,"  he  replied,  "  thar  wuz  shorely  a 
heap  uv  danger  stirrin'  'bout  last  night,  an'  thar  wuz 
lots  uv  chances  that  some  uv  it  would  come  knockin' 
up  ag'inst  me,  but,  Paul,  I  knowed  it  wuz  thar,  I 
knowed  it  wuz  in  the  woods  in  front  uv  us;  it  wuzn't 
settin'  by  my  side,  talkin'  soft  things  to  me,  an'  sayin' 
it  wuz  my  friend.  No,  Paul,  ef  I  had  got  killed  last 
night  I  would  hev  knowed,  ef  I  knowed  anythin'  at 
all,  that  it  wuz  an  honest  Injun  bullet  that  done  it, 
one  that  meant  to  do  it,  an'  no  foolin'." 

The  fleet  resumed  its  passage  up  the  river  in  its 
327 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

usual  arrow  formation,  with  the  five  near  the  tip 
of  the  barb,  but  the  bright  promise  of  the  morning 
was  deceitful.  Toward  noon  the  clouds  of  the 
night  before  that  had  not  retreated  far,  came  back 
again,  filing  solemnly  across  the  sky  in  a  long,  somber 
procession.  No  air  stirred.  The  wide,  yellow  river 
stretched  before  them,  a  smooth,  molten  surface. 

The  motion  of  the  fleet  became  perceptibly  slower. 
The  men  in  that  turgid  atmosphere  felt  languid  and 
inert,  and  their  hands  rested  but  lightly  on  oar  and 
paddle.  Cheerfulness  gave  way  to  depression. 
The  voyage  was  far  less  easy  than  it  had  seemed  a 
few  hours  before.  Overhead  the  clouds  united  and 
drew  a  leaden  blanket  from  horizon  to  horizon. 

"  It's  a  storm,  of  course,"  said  Henry.  "  Remem 
ber  the  one  that  struck  us  when  we  were  coming  down 
the  river.  It's  just  such  another." 

There  was  a  sudden  rush  of  hot  air.  Dull  thun 
der,  singularly  uncanny  in  its  low,  distant  note,  began 
to  grumble.  Lightning  of  an  intense  coppery  color 
flashed  again  and  again  across  the  heavens.  The 
river  began  to  rise  in  yellow  waves  that  crumbled  and 
rose  again. 

Some  of  the  boats  had  sails,  but  these  were  quickly 
taken  in  —  Adam  Colfax  was  no  careless  seaman. 
The  fleet,  nevertheless,  began  to  heave  on  the 
troubled  water,  break  its  formation,  and  fall  into 
imminent  danger  of  frequent  collision.  The  great 
river,  usually  so  friendly,  and,  like  a  long  cord,  uniting 
the  green  lands  on  either  side,  was  now  full  of  wrath 
and  fury.  Burst  after  burst  of  wind,  screaming 

328 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BANK 

ominously,  swept  over  it,  and  the  waves  rolled  like 
those  of  the  sea.  Despite  powerful  hands  on  oar 
and  paddle,  the  fleet  was  driven  about  like  a  covey 
of  frightened  birds.  Meanwhile,  the  darkness  in 
creased  until  it  was  almost  like  night. 

Adam  Colfax  struggled  hard.  He  wished  to  keep 
to  the  middle  of  the  river,  and  a  single  boat  might 
have  fought  out  the  storm  there,  but  the  danger  was 
steadily  increasing.  Two  boats,  already,  were  in 
collision,  and  with  great  difficulty  were  saved  from 
sinking. 

"  We'll  have  to  make  for  the  shore  and  tie  up," 
he  shouted  to  Henry,  who  was  in  the  boat  next  to 
him.  "  I  think  it's  the  most  violent  storm  I  ever  saw 
on  the  Mississippi." 

14  We  may  find  a  sheltered  place,"  Henry  shouted 
back  above  the  roar  of  the  wind. 

"  There's  nothing  else  to  do,"  said  Adam  Colfax. 
"  The  eastern  shore  looks  the  lower,  and  we'll  go  for 


it  at  once." 


He  gave  the  signal  with  hand  and  voice,  and  all 
the  boats  began  to  pull  with  their  whole  strength 
in  a  diagonal  course  toward  the  east  bank,  while  the 
wind  shrieked  in  gust  after  gust,  the  thunder  crashed 
incessantly,  and  the  coppery  lightning  flared  in  great 
saber-cuts  across  the  sky. 

It  was  enough  to  daunt  the  heart  of  many  a  brave 
man,  but  Henry  Ware  was  not  appalled.  His 
primeval  instincts  had  risen  to  the  surface  again. 
He  saw  the  grandeur  of  it  rather  than  the  weirdness 
and  danger.  Like  Long  Jim,  though  less  outspoken, 

329 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

he  had  been  troubled  by  the  intrigue,  the  shiftinesst 
and  the  false  seeming  of  New  Orleans,  and  now  his 
spirit  replied  to  the  battle  of  the  elements.  He  was 
the  most  active  man  in  the  fleet.  His  quick  hand 
and  eye  and  powerful  arm  kept  one  canoe  loaded 
with  medical  stores,  which  had  in  them  the  saving  of 
many  lives,  from  going  to  the  bottom.  The  harder 
the  wind  blew  and  the  rougher  the  waves  grew  the 
higher  his  spirit  rose  to  meet  them. 

"  Look !  "  he  shouted  to  Adam  Colfax,  as  they  ap 
proached  the  shore,  "  an  opening!  See  it?  I  think 
it's  a  bayou,  and  if  we  go  up  that  we'll  be  safe  I  " 

Henry  was  right.  Its  mouth  almost  hidden  by 
trees,  the  deep,  still  bayou  opened  out  before  them, 
and  ran  its  narrow  length  far  back  into  the  land. 
One  could  not  conceive  a  better  anchorage  for  the 
small  boats  such  as  constituted  their  fleet.  The  men, 
when  they  saw  it,  gave  a  hearty  cheer  that  rose  above 
the  wind.  Hardy  as  they  were,  fear  had  entered 
most  of  them. 

The  leading  boats  passed  into  the  bayou,  and  all 
the  others,  many  struggling  hard  with  wind,  current, 
and  waves,  followed  them.  The  change  was  imme 
diate.  They  came  into  quarters  comparatively  still, 
but  there  was  a  new  danger.  A  tree,  snapped 
through  its  mighty  trunk  by  the  hurricane,  fell  across 
the  bayou  directly  in  front  of  them.  It  was  lucky 
that  no  canoe  was  in  its  way. 

"  Out,  men,  with  axes !  "  shouted  Adam  Colfax, 
and  a  dozen  leaped  to  obey  his  command.  The  tree 
was  quickly  cut  apart  and  a  score  more  dragged  the 

330 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BANK 

two  halves  up  to  the  banks,  leaving  a  passage  once 
more  for  the  fleet.  This  was  repeated  further  on, 
and  now  they  began  to  look  anxiously  for  more 
open  country.  Only  good  fortune  had  saved  them 
so  far. 

The  bayou  ran  on  narrow  and  deep,  and  they  pulled 
and  paddled  with  all  their  might,  until  at  last  they 
came  to  a  place  that  was  fringed  only  by  high  bushes. 
The  forest  on  either  side  was  two  or  three  hundred 
yards  away,  and  Adam  Colfax,  despite  his  stern  New 
Hampshire  nature,  did  not  repress  a  cry  of  joy. 
Here  they  were  safe,  alike  from  the  Mississippi  and 
the  forest. 

"  Tie  up !  "  he  shouted,  and  the  boats  were  soon 
fastened  to  the  bushes  in  parallel  rows  on  either  side 
of  the  bayou.  Then  they  hurried  to  make  shelter 
for  themselves.  The  supplies  were  already  covered. 
The  skies  were  now  at  the  darkest,  a  solid  circle 
of  heavy  black  clouds.  The  lightning  and  thunder 
alike  ceased,  and  then,  borne  on  the  swift  wind,  came 
a  mighty  rain.  It  was  so  heavy,  so  steady,  and  so 
searching  that  they  were  put  to  their  utmost  labor 
and  ingenuity  to  keep  their  precious  cargo  dry. 

"  If  the  rain  were  not  so  tremendously  heavy  I 
would  look  through  the  forest  to  see  if  any  enemies 
were  about,"  said  Henry  to  the  leader. 

Adam  Colfax  glanced  up  at  the  water  which  was 
falling  in  sheets  and  laughed,  a  laugh  of  genuine 
relief  from  a  great  strain. 

"  Why,  Henry,"  he  said,  "  I  don't  believe  that  a 
man  could  keep  his  feet  out  there  in  all  that  pelting 

331 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

flood  long  enough  to  go  many  miles.  I  wish  I  was 
always  as  safe  from  attack  as  I  feel  now." 

It  was  certainly  far  more  comfortable  in  the  boats 
than  it  could  possibly  be  in  the  sodden  forest,  where 
little  lakes  were  already  forming.  In  addition, 
night,  very  dark,  was  coming  on,  and  no  cessation 
of  the  rain  was  promised.  It  was  useless,  in  the  face 
of  the  deluge,  to  attempt  to  build  fires  on  the  shore, 
and  huddling  in  the  boats  under  tarpaulins,  sails,  and 
blankets,  they  ate  cold  food.  But  Adam  Colfax, 
as  a  precaution,  allowed  a  little  brandy  to  be  served 
to  every  man. 

"  It's  medicine  in  this  case,  boys,"  he  said,  "  and 
you  must  look  on  it  so.  I  don't  think  you'll  get  any 


more." 


Bye  and  bye  the  rain  slackened  a  little.  Some 
one  began  a  line  of  a  song,  but  it  did  not  catch.  No 
body  joined  in,  and  the  singer  stopped.  The  at 
mosphere  was  not  favorable  to  any  kind  of  music. 
The  hours  passed  slowly,  but  it  was  nearly  midnight 
when  the  rain  ceased,  and  a  timid  moon  came  out  to 
cast  a  few  pale  rays  over  a  soaked  and  dripping  for 
est.  Most  of  the  men  were  now  asleep  under  their 
covers,  but  not  one  of  the  five  slumbered,  nor  did 
Adam  Colfax  and  a  dozen  others. 

"Thank  God,  it's  stopped  at  last!"  said  Adam 
Colfax  devoutly  —  he  was  a  religious  man,  and  his 
gratitude  was  not  merely  oral.  "  The  clouds  are 
clearing  away  and  I  think  we  can  soon  see  where 


we  are." 


Yes,  it  will  be  much  lighter  soon,"  said  Henry 
332 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BANK 

Ware,  "  but  in  the  meantime  we  are  about  to  re 
ceive  a  visitor.  Look!" 

He  pointed  down  the  bayou  toward  the  river.  A 
light  canoe  was  emerging  from  the  mists  and 
shadows.  It  contained  a  single  occupant,  and  came 
straight  on  up  the  narrow  channel. 

The  man  who  sat  in  the  canoe  was  tall  and  thin 
and  wrapped  in  a  dripping  black  robe.  His  head 
was  bare  and  his  gray  hair  fell  in  long,  straight  locks. 
The  moonlight  fell  directly  upon  his  thin,  ascetic 
face,  and  something  in  the  eyes  that  Adam  Colfax 
saw,  or  thought  he  saw,  sent  a  thrill  through  him. 

"  Is  it  a  ghost?  "  he  asked  of  Henry  Ware  in  an 
awed  whisper. 

At  that  moment  the  moonlight  shifted  and  fell 
upon  something  metallic  that  gleamed  upon  the 
breast  of  the  mystic  visitor. 

"  It  is  Father  Montigny,"  said  Henry.  He,  too, 
felt  awe,  not  at  any  ghostly  apparition  but  because 
the  priest  had  come  suddenly  at  such  a  time. 

"  What  does  it  portend?  "  was  his  silent  thought. 

Paddling  with  a  strong  hand  the  priest  came 
straight  toward  them.  The  moonlight  continued  to 
shine  upon  his  face,  and  Henry  thought  that  he  read 
there  the  impulse  of  a  great  mission. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE    BATTLE    OF   THE    BAYOU 

THE  priest  came  directly  to  the  boat,  in  which 
Henry  Ware  and  Adam  Colfax  were  sitting 
—  the  remainder  of  the  five  were  in  the  next 
boat  —  and  held  up  his  hand  as  a  sign  of  recognition 
and  relief. 

"  Father  Montigny !  "  said  Henry. 

'  Yes,  my  son,  it  is  I,  and  I  give  thanks  to  Heaven 
that  I  have  found  you  in  time." 

"What  is  it,  father?"  It  seemed  natural  that 
at  this  moment  Henry  should  be  the  spokesman  for 
the  fleet. 

"  A  great  danger  has  closed  upon  you  and  all 
here." 

"  Alvarez?" 

"  Yes,  he  is  the  master  spirit,  but  back  of  him 
are  the  allied  tribes  of  the  south,  Creeks,  Choctaws, 
Chickasaws,  even  Osages  from  the  west,  and  others, 
and  in  addition  there  are  two  hundred  desperate 
white  men  drawn  from  all  nations.  Alvarez  has 
promised  to  lead  them  to  great  spoil  and  plunder. 
He  is  the  buccaneer  chief  now  and  they  will  follow 
him.  At  night-fall  they  surprised  a  French  trading 
schooner  tied  to  the  shore  for  safety,  slaughtered 

334 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BAYOU 

those  on  board,  and  have  now  drawn  the  schooner 
across  the  mouth  of  the  bayou  to  shut  you  in.  The 
vessel  also  carries  four  bronze  nine  pounders  which 
they  will  use  against  you.  Outside  in  the  Mississippi 
is  a  great  fleet  of  Indian  war-canoes  which  has  been 
above  you  in  the  stream." 

Adam  Colfax  paled  a  little. 

"  It  seems,"  he  said,  "  that  when  we  thought  we 
were  pulling  to  safety  we  were  merely  entering  a 
trap." 

"  It  was  a  trap,"  said  Henry  with  energy,  "  but 
we're  strong  enough  to  break  any  trap  into  which 
we  may  fall." 

"  That's  so,"  said  Adam  Colfax. 

"  You  may  ask  me  how  I  knew  all  this,"  contin 
ued  the  priest.  ;'  I  tell  you  not  what  I  have  heard, 
but  what  I  have  seen.  I  was  with  the  Choctaws.  and 
I  sought  to  dissuade  them  from  this  campaign  upon 
which  they  were  marching.  I  told  them  that  Alvarez 
was  mad  with  ambition  and  disappointment,  that  he 
had  rebelled  against  lawful  authority,  that  he  was  an 
outlaw  and  buccaneer,  and  that  he  could  not  keep  his 
promises.  My  words  availed  nothing.  I  contin 
ued  with  them,  hoping  still  to  dissuade  them  and  the 
other  bands  that  met  them,  but  still  I  failed. 

"  I  was  yet  with  the  tribe  when  they  met  Alvarez 
and  the  wicked  renegade,  the  one  Wyatt,  and  their 
men.  Alvarez  would  have  used  force,  he  would 
have  driven  me  from  the  camp  with  heavy  blows; 
even  this,  the  white  man  who  has  inherited  Holy 
Church  would  have  done,  but  the  red  men,  born  sav- 

335 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

ages,  would  not  let  him.  Although  they  would  not 
listen  to  me  they  let  me  stay,  unharmed.  I  witnessed, 
or  rather  heard,  their  attack  upon  you  last  night,  and 
their  repulse  has  made  them  only  the  more  eager  for 
your  destruction.  It  has  also  united  them  the  more 
firmly." 

"  When  do  you  think  they  will  attack  us,  Father 
Montigny?"  asked  Henry. 

'  That  I  cannot  tell.  I  heard  their  plans,  and  I 
deemed  it  my  duty  to  warn  you.  A  guard,  one 
whom  I  have  converted  to  our  faith,  let  me  slip  away 
and  here  I  am." 

"  And  our  debt  to  you  is  still  growing,"  said 
Henry.  "  As  for  myself,  I  think  the  attack  will 
come  to-night5  when  they  deem  us  disorganized  and 
beaten  down  by  the  storm." 

"  And  so  do  I,"  said  Adam  Colfax.     "  We  have 


no  time  to  waste." 


"  May  God  preserve  you,"  said  the  priest.  "  I 
have  no  desire  to  witness  scenes  of  slaughter  but  I 
trust,  for  the  sake  of  yourselves,  for  the  sake  of 
Bernardo  Galvez,  the  good  Governor  General  of 
Louisiana,  and  for  the  welfare  of  this  region,  that 
you  may  beat  them  off.  But  the  contest  will  be 
fierce  and  bloody." 

A  young  man,  at  the  order  of  Adam  Colfax, 
sounded  a  trumpet,  a  low  thrilling  call  tnat  aroused 
the  men  from  their  brief  sleep,  and  the  word  was 
quickly  passed  that  they  were  blockaded  in  the  bayou, 
and  that  the  hordes  were  advancing  to  a  new  at 
tack.  They  grumbled  less  now  than  at  the  storm. 

336 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BAYOIj 

Here  was  a  danger  that  they  knew  how  to  meet. 
Battle  had  been  a  part  of  all  their  lives,  and  they  did 
not  fear  it. 

The  moonlight  increased,  the  forest  was  dripping, 
but  there  was  a  noise  now  of  bullet  clinking  against 
bullet,  of  the  ramrod  sent  home  in  the  rifle  barrel, 
and  of  men  talking  low. 

Adam  Colfax  called  a  conference  in  his  boat. 
His  best  Iieutenant3  r.:id  the  five  were  present. 
Should  they  await  die  attack  or  advance  to  meet  it  ? 
In  any  event,  the  fleet  must  c:capc  from  the  bayou, 
and  the  nearer  they  were  to  the  river  when  the  bat 
tle  occurred  the  better  it  wojilfc,  be  for  them. 

"  Ef  we  know  thar's  a  danger,"  said  Tom  Ross, 
"  the  best  thing  fur  us  to  dc  is  to  go  to  it,  an'  lay 
hold  uv  it." 

The  vote  on  Tom's  suggestion  was  unanimous  in 
its  favor,  and  the  fleet  once  more  began  to  move. 
A  small  force  of  riflemen  marched  on  either  bank 
in  order  to  uncover  possible  skirmishers. 

The  advance  was  very  slow  and  in  silence  save  for 
the  dip  of  the  oars  and  the  paddles.  The  moon 
light  grew  stronger  and  stronger,  and  they  could  now 
see  a  good  distance  on  the  deep,  still  bayou. 

The  five  had  remained  in  the  leading  boats  and 
they  watched  closely  for  sight  or  sound  of  the  hos 
tile  force,  but  as  yet  eye  and  ear  told  nothing.  The 
trees  now  grew  close  to  the  water's  edge  and,  looped 
heavily  with  trailing  vines,  trny  presented  a  black 
wall  on  either  side.  But  they  had  no  fear  of  shots 
from  such  a  source,  as  they  knew  that  the  trusty 

337 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

riflemen  going  in  advance  would  clear  out  any  skir 
mishers  who  might  have  hidden  themselves  there. 

Paul  was  beside  Henry.  Near  him  was  Long 
Jim  and  in  the  boat  next  to  them  was  Shif'less  Sol 
and  Tom  Ross.  At  this  moment,  which  they  felt 
to  be  heavy  with  import,  it  was  good  to  be  together. 
Paul  in  particular,  Paul,  the  impressionable  and  im 
aginative,  looked  around  at  the  familiar  figures  in 
the  clearing  moonlight,  and  drew  strength  and  com 
fort  from  their  near  presence. 

The  dark  fleet  moved  slowly  on,  cutting  the  deep 
still  waters  of  the  bayou  with  almost  noiseless  keel. 
The  men  had  ceased  whispering.  Now  and  then  an 
oar  splashed  or  the  water  gave  back  the  echo  of  a 
paddle's  dip,  but  little  else  was  heard.  All  looked 
straight  ahead. 

Suddenly  they  saw  in  the  middle  of  the  bayou, 
about  a  hundred  yards  before  them,  a  small,  black 
shape,  so  low  that  it  seemed  to  blend  with  the  water. 
It  was  an  Indian  canoe,  the  first  outpost  of  the  sav 
age  force,  and  its  occupant,  promptly  firing  a  rifle, 
raised  a  long,  warning  shout.  In  an  instant  the 
woods  on  either  side  began  to  crackle  with  rifle-fire. 
Skirmishers  had  met  skirmishers,  and  the  battle  of 
the  bayou  had  begun. 

"  Press  on!  Press  on!  We  must  cut  through 
somehow !  "  cried  Adam  Colfax,  and  the  American 
fleet  moved  steadily  and  unfalteringly  on  toward  its 
goal.  They  came  now  to  the  narrowest  part  of  the 
bayou,  and  stretched  across  it  they  saw  a  dark  line 
of  canoes,  all  crowded  with  Indians  and  the  despera- 

338 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BAYOU 

does  of  Alvarez.  Behind  them  heaved  up  the  dark 
bulk  of  the  captured  schooner. 

The  battle  blazed  in  an  instant  into  volume  and 
fury.  Two  lines  of  fire  facing  each  other  were 
formed  across  the  bayou,  one  bent  upon  pushing  for 
ward,  the  other  bent  upon  holding  it  back.  These 
lines,  moreover,  stretched  far  into  the  woods  on 
either  bank,  where  sharpshooters  lay,  and  both  sides 
shouted  at  intervals  as  the  blood  in  their  veins  grew 
hot. 

The  dark  hulk  of  the  schooner  suddenly  burst 
into  spots  of  flame,  and  the  woods  and  waters  echoed 
with  heavy  reports.  The  captured  nine  pounders 
were  now  helping  to  block  the  passage,  but  the  brass 
twelve  pounders  on  the  supply  fleet  replied.  Steadily 
the  fire  of  both  sides  grew  in  volume  and  the  lines 
came  closer  and  closer  together. 

The  moonlight  faded  again  and  little  clouds  of 
smoke  began  to  rise.  These  clouds  gradually  grew 
bigger,  then  united  into  one  heavy  opaque  mass  that 
hung  over  the  combatants.  Strips  of  vapor  were  de 
tached  from  it  and  floated  off  into  the  forest.  A 
sharp,  pungent  odor,  the  smell  of  burnt  gunpowder, 
filled  the  nostrils  of  the  men  and  added  to  the  fire 
that  burned  in  their  veins., 

This,  the  largest  battle  yet  fought  in  the  southern 
woods,  had  a  somber  and  unreal  aspect  to  Paul.  All 
around  them  now  was  the  encircling  darkness. 
Only  the  area  in  which  the  battle  was  fought  showed 
any  light,  but  here  the  flashes  of  the  firing  were  con 
tinuous  and  intense.  The  crash  of  the  rifles  never 

339 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

ceased.  Now  and  then  it  rose  to  greater  volume 
and  then  fell  again,  but  rising  or  falling  it  always 
went  on,  while  over  it  boomed  the  big  guns  answer 
ing  one  another  in  defiant  notes  of  thunder. 

The  schooner  was  the  most  formidable  obstacle 
to  the  passage.  It  lay  full  length  across  the  narrow 
bayou  and,  even  if  the  boats  of  the  supply  fleet 
should  reach  it,  there  was  little  room  to  pass  on 
either  side.  From  its  decks  the  nine  pounders  were 
fired  fast  and  often  with  precision,  and  the  majority 
of  the  Spaniard's  desperate  band  found  shelter  there 
also,  firing  with  rifles,  muskets,  and  pistols.  Others 
sent  bullets,  also,  from  the  comparative  security  of 
port  holes.  The  possession  of  the  schooner  gave 
them  a  great  advantage  and  they  did  not  neglect 
it.  Now  and  then  they  sent  up  fierce  yells,  the  war- 
cries  of  the  West  Indian  pirates,  and  their  Indian  al 
lies  answered  them  with  their  own  long-drawn,  high 
pitched  whoop,  so  full  of  ferocity  and  menace.  Both 
looked  forward  to  nothing  less  than  complete 
triumph. 

The  space  between  the  combatants  was  lighted  up 
by  the  incessant  flash  of  the  firing.  Little  jets  of 
water  where  a  missent  bullet  struck  were  continually 
spouting  up,  and  then  would  come  a  bigger  one  when 
a  cannon  ball  plunged  into  the  depths  of  the  bayou. 

Paul  suddenly  heard  a  heavy  impact,  a  crash,  as 
of  ripping  wood,  and  a  cry.  A  canoe  near  them  had 
been  struck  by  a  cannon  ball,  and  practically  broken 
in  half.  It  sank  in  an  instant,  and  one  of  the  men 
in  it,  wounded  in  the  arm,  and  crippled,  was  sink- 

340 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BAYOU 

ing  a  second  time,  when  Paul  sprang  into  the  water 
and  helped  him  into  their  own  boat.  But  not  all 
the  wounded  were  so  fortunate.  Some  sank  to  stay, 
and  the  dark  night  battle,  far  more  deadly  than  that 
of  the  night  before,  reeled  to  and  fro. 

The  combat  at  first  had  been  more  of  a  spectacle 
than  anything  else  to  Paul.  The  extraordinary  play 
of  light  and  darkness,  the  innumerable  shadows  and 
flashes  on  the  surface  of  the  bayou,  the  black  tracery 
of  the  forest  on  either  bank,  the  red  beads  of  flame 
from  the  rifle  fire  appearing  and  re-appearing,  made 
of  it  all  a  vast  panorama  for  him.  There  were  the 
sounds,  too,  the  piratical  shout,  hoarse  and  menac 
ing,  the  Indian  whoop,  shriller  and  with  more  of  the 
wild  beast's  whine  in  it,  the  fierce,  sharp  note  of  the 
rifle  fire,  steady,  insistent,  and  full  of  threat,  and 
over  it  the  heavy  thudding  of  the  great  guns. 

It  was  Paul's  eye  and  ear  at  first  that  received  the 
deep  impression,  but  now  the  aspect  of  a  panorama 
passed  away  and  his  soul  was  stirred  with  a  fierce 
desire  to  get  on,  to  cut  through  the  hostile  line,  to 
crush  down  the  opposition,  and  to  reach  the  full  free 
dom  of  the  wide  river.  He  began  to  hate  those  men 
who  opposed  them,  the  fire  of  passion  that  battle 
breeds  was  surely  mounting  to  his  head.  Uncon 
sciously,  Paul,  the  scholar  and  coming  statesman,  the 
grave  quiet  youth,  began  to  shout  and  to  hurl  invec 
tives  at  those  who  presumed  to  hold  them  back.  The 
barrel  of  his  rifle  grew  hot  in  his  hand  with  con 
stant  loading  and  firing,  but  he  did  not  notice  it. 
He  still,  at  imminent  risk  to  himself,  sent  his  bullets 

341 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

toward  the  dark  line  of  Indian  canoes  and  the  flash 
ing  hulk  of  the  ship  behind  them. 

The  supply  fleet  was  beginning  to  suffer  severely. 
A  number  of  boats  and  canoes  had  been  sunk  and 
nearly  a  score  of  men  had  been  killed.  Many  more 
were  wounded  and,  despite  all  this  loss,  they  had 
made  no  progress.  The  fire  from  the  bank,  more 
over,  was  beginning  to  sting  them  and  to  stop  it  Adam 
Colfax  landed  more  men.  The  increased  force  of 
the  Americans  on  the  shore  served  the  purpose  but 
they  were  still  unable  to  force  the  mouth  of  the  bayou. 
The  schooner  seemed  to  be  fixed  there  and  she  never 
ceased  to  send  a  storm  of  bullets  and  cannon  balls 
at  them. 

Adam  Colfax  had  a  slight  wound  in  the  arm,  but 
his  slow  cold  blood  was  now  at  the  boiling  point. 

'We've  got  to  force  that  schooner!"  he  cried. 
"  We've  got  to  take  her,  if  it  has  to  be  done  with 
boarders !  We  can  never  get  by  unless  we  do  it !  " 

But  the  loss  of  life  even  if  the  attempt  were  a  suc 
cess,  would  be  terrible.  That  was  apparent  to  every 
body  and  Henry  made  a  suggestion. 

"  Let's  concentrate  our  whole  fire  upon  the  ship," 
he  said.  "  Mass  the  cannon  and  the  rest  of  us  will 
back  them  up  with  our  rifles.  Maybe  we  can  silence 
her,  and  if  we  do  then's  the  time  to  take  her  by 
storm." 

The  supply  fleet  drew  back  and  its  fire  died.  It 
seemed,  in  truth,  as  if  it  were  beaten  and  that,  hem 
med  in  by  fire,  as  it  were  in  the  narrow  bayou,  it  must 
surrender.  A  tremendous  shout  of  triumph  burst 

342 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BAYOU 

forth  from  the  men  on  the  schooner,  and  the  Indians 
took  it  up  in  a  vast  and  shriller  but  more  terrible 
chorus. 

Then  came  one  of  those  sudden  and  ominous  si 
lences  that  sometimes  occur  in  a  battle.  The  fire  of 
the  Americans  ceasing,  that  of  their  enemies  ceased 
for  the  moment  also.  But  the  pause  was  more  deadly 
and  menacing  in  its  stillness  than  all  the  thunder  and 
shouting  of  the  combat  had  been.  It  seemed  unnat 
ural  to  hear  again  the  sighing  of  the  wind  through 
the  forest  and  the  quiet  lap  of  water  against  the 
shore.  The  bank  of  smoke,  no  longer  increased  from 
below,  lifted,  thinned,  broke  up  into  patches,  and  be 
gan  to  float  away.  The  moon's  rays  shot  through  the 
mists  and  vapors  once  more,  and  lighted  up  the  wat 
ery  battlefield  of  the  night,  the  schooner,  the  desper 
ate  men  on  it,  the  swarms  of  canoes,  the  coppery, 
high-cheeked  faces  of  the  Indians,  the  supply  fleet 
packed  now  in  a  rather  close  mass,  the  tanned  faces 
of  the  men  on  board  it,  animated  by  the  high  spirit 
of  daring  and  enterprise,  the  wounded  lying  silent  in 
the  boats,  and  the  wreckage  floating  on  the  bayou. 

But  the  stillness  endured  for  only  a  few  moments. 
It  was  broken  by  the  American  fleet,  which  seemed  to 
draw  itself  together  into  closer  and  more  compact 
form.  An  order  in  a  low  tone,  but  sharp  and  precise, 
was  carried  from  boat  to  boat,  and  it  seemed  to 
strengthen  the  men  anew,  heart  and  body.  They 
straightened  up,  signs  of  exhaustion  passed  from 
their  faces,  and  every  one  made  ready  all  the  arms 
that  he  had. 

343 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

Paul,  like  the  others,  had  felt  the  sudden  silence, 
but  perhaps  most  acutely  of  all.  His  whole  imagi 
native  temperament  was  on  fire.  He  knew  —  he 
would  have  known,  even  had  he  not  heard  —  that  the 
sudden  cessation  of  the  firing  was  merely  preliminary, 
a  fresh  drawing  of  the  breath  as  it  were  for  another 
and  supreme  effort.  He  clasped  his  hands  to  his  tem 
ples,  where  the  pulses  were  beating  rapidly  and  heav 
ily,  and  his  face  burned  as  if  in  a  fever.  But  it  was 
a  fever  of  the  mind  not  of  the  body. 

"  It's  a  big  battle,  Paul,  "  said  Shif'less  Sol,  who 
had  come  with  Tom  Ross  into  their  boat,  "  but  it's 
wuth  it.  The  arms  and  other  things  that  we  carry 
in  these  boats  may  be  wuth  millions  an'  millions  to  the 
people  who  come  after  us." 

u  Do  you  think  we'll  ever  break  through,  Sol?" 
asked  Paul. 

"  Shorely,"  replied  the  shiftless  one.  "  Henry's 
got  the  plan,  and  we're  goin'  to  cut  through  like  a 
wedge  druv  through  a  log.  Something's  got  to  give. 
Up,  Paul,  with  your  gun!  Here  she  goes  ag'in!  " 

The  battle  suddenly  burst  forth  afresh  and  with 
greater  violence.  All  the  American  twelve  pounders 
were  now  in  a  row  at  the  head  of  the  fleet,  and  one 
after  another,  from  right  to  left  and  then  from  left 
to  right  and  over  and  over  again,  they  began  to  fire 
with  tremendous  rapidity  and  accuracy  at  the 
schooner.  All  the  best  gunners  were  around  the 
twelve  pounders.  If  one  fell,  another  took  his  place. 
Many  of  them  were  stripped  to  the  waist,  and  their 
own  fire  lighted  up  their  tan  faces  and  their  brown 

344 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BAYOU 

sinewy  arms  as  they  handled  rammer  and  cannon 
shot. 

The  fire  of  the  cannon  was  supported  by  that  of 
scores  and  scores  of  rifles,  and  the  enemy  replied  with 
furious  energy.  But  the  supply  fleet  was  animated 
now  by  a  single  purpose.  The  shiftless  one's  simile  of 
a  wedge  driven  into  a  log  was  true.  No  attention  was 
paid  to  anybody  in  the  hostile  boats  and  canoes. 
They  could  fire  unheeded.  Every  American  cannon 
and  rifle  sent  its  load  straight  at  the  schooner.  All 
the  upper  works  of  the  vessel  were  shot  away.  The 
men  of  Alvarez  could  not  live  upon  its  decks;  they 
were  even  slain  at  the  port  holes  by  the  terrific  rifle 
fire;  cannon  shot,  grape  shot,  and  rifle  bullets  searched 
every  nook  and  corner  of  the  vessel,  and  her  desper 
ate  crew,  one  by  one,  began  to  leap  into  the  water  and 
make  for  the  shores. 

A  shout  of  exultation  rose  from  the  supply  fleet, 
which  was  now  slowly  moving  forward.  Flames  sud 
denly  burst  from  the  schooner  and  ran  up  the 
stumps  of  her  masts  and  spars,  reaching  out  long 
arms  and  laying  hold  at  new  points.  The  cannon 
shots  had  also  reached  the  inside  of  the  ship  as  fire  be 
gan  to  spout  from  the  port  holes,  and  there  was  a 
steady  stream  of  men  leaping  from  the  schooner  into 
the  water  of  the  bayou  and  making  for  the  land. 

The  American  shout  of  exultation  was  repeated, 
and  the  forest  gave  back  the  echo.  The  Indians  an 
swered  it  with  a  fierce  yell  of  defiance,  and  the  forest 
gave  back  that,  too. 

But  Adam  Colfax  had  been  watching  shrewdly. 
345 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

In  his  daring  life  he  had  been  in  more  than  one  naval 
battle,  and  when  he  saw  the  schooner  wrapped  and 
re-wrapped  in  great  coils  and  ribbons  of  flame  he 
knew  what  was  due.  Suddenly  he  shouted  in  a  voice 
that  could  be  heard  above  the  roar  of  the  battle: 

"  Back !     Back,  all !     Back  for  your  lives !  " 

It  reached  the  ears  of  everybody  in  the  American 
fleet,  and  whether  he  understood  its  words  or  not 
every  man  understood  its  tone.  There  was  an  invol 
untary  movement  common  to  all.  The  fleet  stopped 
its  slow  advance,  seemed  to  sway  in  another  direction, 
and  then  to  sit  still  on  the  water.  But  all  were  look 
ing  at  the  schooner  with  an  intense,  fascinated,  yet 
horrified  gaze. 

Nobody  was  left  on  the  deck  of  the  vessel  but  the 
dead.  The  huge,  intertwining  coil  of  fiery  ribbons 
seemed  suddenly  to  unite  in  one  great  glowing  mass, 
out  of  which  flames  shot  high,  sputtering  and  crack 
ling.  Then  came  an  awful  moment  of  silence,  the  ves 
sel  trembled,  leaped  from  the  water,  turned  into  a 
volcano  of  fire  and  with  a  tremendous  crash  blew  up. 

The  report  was  so  great  that  it  came  rolling  back 
in  echo  after  echo,  but  for  a  few  moments  there  was 
no  other  sound  save  the  echo.  Then  followed  a 
rain  of  burning  wood,  many  pieces  falling  in  the  sup 
ply  fleet,  burning  and  scorching,  while  others  fell  hiss 
ing  in  the  forest  on  either  shore.  Darkness,  too,  came 
over  land  and  water.  All  the  firing  had  ceased  as  if 
by  preconcerted  signal,  though  the  combatants  on 
either  side  were  awed  by  the  fate  of  the  vessel.  The 
smoke  bank  came  back,  too,  thicker  and  heavier  than 

346 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  BAYOU 

before,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  the  strong,  pun 
gent  odor  of  burnt  gunpowder. 

But  the  schooner  that  had  blocked  the  mouth  of 
the  bayou  was  gone  forever  and  the  way  lay  open 
before  them.  Adam  Colfax  recovered  from  the 
shock  of  the  explosion. 

"  On,  men !  On !  "  he  roared,  and  the  whole 
fleet,  animated  by  a  single  impulse,  sprang  forward 
toward  the  mouth  of  the  bayou,  the  cannon  blazing 
anew  the  path,  the  gunners  loading  and  firing,  as 
fast  as  they  could.  But  the  simile  of  the  shiftless 
one  had  come  true.  The  wedge,  driven  by  tremen 
dous  strokes,  had  cleft  the  log. 

The  Indian  fleet,  many  of  the  boats  containing 
white  men,  too,  closed  in  and  sought  to  bar  the  way, 
but  they  were  daunted  somewhat  by  their  great  dis 
aster,  and  in  an  instant  the  American  fleet  was  upon 
them  cutting  a  path  through  to  the  free  river.  Boat 
often  smashed  into  boat,  and  the  weaker,  or  the  one 
with  less  impulse,  went  down.  Now  and  then  white 
and  red  reached  over  and  grasped  each  other  in 
deadly  struggle,  but,  whatever  happened,  the  supply 
fleet  moved  steadily  on. 

It  was  to  Paul  a  confused  combat,  a  wild  and  ter 
rible  struggle,  the  climax  of  the  night-battle.  White 
and  red  faces  mingled  before  him  in  a  blur,  the  water 
seemed  to  flow  in  narrow,  black  streams  between  the 
boats  and  the  pall  of  smoke  was  ever  growing  thicker. 
It  hung  over  them,  black  and  charged  now  with 
gases.  Paul  coughed  violently,  but  he  was  not  con 
scious  of  it.  He  fired  his  rifle  until  it  was  too  hot 

347 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

to  hold.  Then  he  laid  it  down,  and  seizing  an  oar 
pulled  with  the  energy  of  fever. 

When  the  boats  containing  the  cannon  were 
through  and  into  the  river,  they  faced  about  and  be 
gan  firing  over  the  heads  of  the  others  into  the  hud 
dled  mass  of  the  enemy  behind.  But  it  was  only  for 
a  minute  or  two.  Then  the  last  of  the  supply  fleet; 
that  is,  the  last  afloat,  came  through,  and  the  gap  that 
they  had  made  was  closed  up  at  once  by  the  enemy, 
who  still  hung  on  their  rear  and  who  were  yet  shout 
ing  and  firing. 

The  Americans  gave  a  great  cheer,  deep  and  full 
throated,  but  they  did  not  pause  in  their  great  effort. 
Boats  swung  off  toward  either  bank  of  the  bayou's 
mouth.  The  skirmishers  in  the  bushes  who  had  done 
such  useful  work  must  be  taken  on  board.  Theirs 
was  now  the  most  dangerous  position  of  all,  pursued 
as  they  certainly  would  be  by  the  horde  of  Indians 
and  outlaws,  bent  upon  revenge. 

The  boat  containing  the  five  was  among  those  that 
touched  the  northern  side  of  the  bayou's  mouth,  and 
everyone  of  them,  rifle  in  hand,  instantly  sprang 
ashore. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  DEFENSE  OF  THE  FIVE 

HENRY  WARE  was  the  first  on  land, 
Shif'less  Sol  came  just  behind  him,  and  then 
the  other  three.  The  boat  from  which  they 
had  leaped,  and  which  now  contained  but  two  oars 
men,  swung  back  a  little  into  the  stream,  and  in  a  mo 
ment  the  darkness,  closing  down,  shut  it  from  view. 
They  stood  in  a  patch  of  undergrowth  and  the  battle 
still  flamed  around  them  on  the  bayou,  on  the  river, 
and  in  the  woods.  It  was  now  fiercest  in  the  forest, 
which  crackled  with  the  rifle  shots  and  the  sound  of 
singing  bullets.  Innumerable  jets  of  flame  sparkled 
here  and  there,  and  then  went  out,  to  be  succeeded 
instantly  by  others. 

Many  of  the  Indian  canoes  had  been  sunk  by  the 
explosion  or  the  sweep  of  the  supply  fleet,  but  it  was 
easy  for  their  occupants,  if  not  seriously  wounded,  to 
escape  to  the  land,  and  they  greatly  increased  the 
savage  swarm  in  the  Woods,  chiefly  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  bayou.  Henry  and  his  friends  could  hear 
their  warning  cries  to  one  another,  even  their  tread, 
and  they  realized  that  their  own  skirmishers  in  the 
woods  would  be  pressed  hard.  Only  a  determined 

349 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

effort  could  hold  back  the  horde  long  enough  for  the 
men  to  reach  the  fleet. 

While  they  stood  there,  seeking  the  best  thing  to 
do,  two  skirmishers  dashed  up,  breathless,  both 
slightly  wounded,  and  exclaiming  that  they  were  pur 
sued  by  a  formidable  force. 

"  Jump  into  the  water!"  cried  Henry.  "The 
boats  are  only  a  few  yards  away !  We'll  hold  back 
the  savages !  " 

There  were  two  plunks,  as  the  skirmishers  sprang 
into  the  Mississippi,  sinking  a  moment  from  sight, 
and  then,  as  they  reappeared,  swimming  swiftly  for 
the  boats.  Behind  them  came  their  pursuers  in  a 
swarm,  but  they  were  driven  back  by  the  rifle  fire 
of  the  little  party  from  Kentucky.  Another  skir 
misher  burst  through  the  bushes,  and,  helped  in  the 
same  way,  sprang  into  the  Mississippi,  swimming  for 
the  boats.  Then  came  a  fourth  and  a  fifth  and  every 
one  escaped  as  the  others  had  done. 

"  It's  well  we  came,"  said  Henry.  "  This  is  not 
the  least  of  our  task.  Lie  down,  boys." 

They  stretched  themselves  on  the  damp  earth,  the 
great,  yellow  river  close  behind  them,  and  the  forest 
in  front  swarming  with  the  savage  force.  They  had 
expected  other  men  who  had  landed  to  come  to  their 
aid,  but  the  parties  had  become  separated  in  the  dark 
ness  and  confusion  of  the  battle,  and  they  were  left 
alone.  Nevertheless  a  dauntless  heart  beat  in  every 
breast,  and  they  expected  to  hold  that  neck  of  land, 
which  seemed  to  be  a  channel  for  the  pursued,  until 
the  last  fugitive  was  safe. 

350 


THE  DEFENSE  OF  THE  FIVE 

Lying  upon  their  faces,  half  supported  by  their 
elbows,  they  could  load  and  fire  whenever  they  saw  a 
hostile  figure  in  front  of  them.  Again  and  again  the 
pursuit  of  a  skirmisher  was  driven  back  by  these 
deadly  riflemen.  Now  and  then  a  cannon  shot  fired 
from  their  own  fleet  whistled  over  their  heads  and 
struck  in  the  forest  among  their  foes,  but  they  paid 
no  attention  to  it.  They  were  intent  upon  their  own 
work  and  every  faculty  was  concentrated  for  the  task. 

They  had  the  bayou  on  one  side  and  a  little  bay  of 
the  river  on  the  other,  and  they  could  not  be  sur 
rounded  by  land.  The  foe  was  always  straight  be 
fore  them,  in  a  way,  eye  to  eye,  and  there  they  sent 
bullets  that  rarely  missed. 

A  fever  was  in  their  blood,  the  long  battle,  its  tre 
mendous  events,  and  the  new  phase  that  it  had  now 
assumed,  set  every  nerve  to  going.  Certain  faculties 
useless  for  that  crisis  had  become  atrophied  for  the 
time.  They  no  longer  heard  the  sounds  of  the  can 
non  shots  over  their  heads  or  the  shouts  of  the  men 
on  the  boats,  they  saw  and  heard  nothing  but  their 
own  battle  and  what  lay  directly  in  front  of  them. 

The  position  was  growing  more  dangerous.  Their 
searching  fire  had  drawn  upon  them  an  enemy  always 
increasing  in  numbers.  The  savages  converged  in 
front  of  them  in  a  semicircle,  and  their  fire  grew 
heavier  and  heavier.  Bullets  whistled  over  them, 
struck  the  earth  about  them,  or  clipped  their  clothing. 

Another  fugitive  passed  them  and  escaped,  and 
then  yet  another.  It  was  evident  that  their  task  was 
not  yet  done,  and  they  would  not  leave,  although  the 

351 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

fire  poured  upon  them,  still  increased  in  heat  and  the 
bullets  came  in  showers. 

Presently  the  attack  seemed  to  veer  away  from 
them  somewhat,  as  if  the  attention  of  the  enemy  were 
turned  elsewhere,  and  Paul,  who  was  at  the  end  of 
the  line,  crept  forward  a  little  in  the  thicket.  The 
fever  was  still  burning  in  his  veins  and  he  was  anxious 
to  see  what  lay  in  front  of  him.  He  did  not  hear 
the  warning  cries  of  his  comrades,  or,  if  hearing,  he 
did  not  heed  them.  He  was  still  burning  with  the 
desire  to  see  what  lay  there  in  the  depths  of  the 
forest.  Paul,  the  scholar,  the  thinker,  the  future 
statesman,  had  become  transformed.  In  such  a  sur 
charged  atmosphere  he,  too,  had  turned  into  the  prim 
itive  man,  the  fighter,  the  man  who  looks  upon  every 
other  man  not  proven  a  friend,  as  his  natural  enemy. 
The  bullets  had  ceased  for  the  time  being  to  whistle 
above  his  head  and  to  strike  up  the  earth  about  him. 
He  became  conscious  once  more  of  the  cannon  shots, 
shrieking  over  him,  and  the  crash  of  the  rifle  fire 
came  from  right  and  left. 

A  stick  broke  under  Paul  and  he  heard  a  shout  in 
front  of  him.  The  shout  was  so  fierce,  so  fully 
charged  with  malice,  that  he  sprang  to  his  feet  as  if 
he  had  been  propelled  by  an  electric  shock.  He  stood 
face  to  face  with  Don  Francisco  Alvarez,  the  plotter, 
the  rebel,  and  leader  of  the  attacking  army,  a  wild 
and  terrible  figure,  clothes  torn,  bleeding  from 
wounds,  but  animated  now  by  a  savage  joy.  His 
pistol  was  leveled  at  the  surprised  youth,  and  the 
next  moment  the  deadly  bullet  would  have  been  sped, 

352 


THE  DEFENSE  OF  THE  FIVE 

but  a  tall  black-robed  figure  rose  up  from  the  bushes 
and  threw  Alvarez  back. 

"  Francisco  Alvarez,  thou  hast  done  crime  enough 
already!  "  exclaimed  the  priest. 

Alvarez  regained  his  balance,  cast  one  look  of  hate 
at  the  man  who  had  intervened,  and  cried : 

"  Ha !  it  is  you,  priest,  who  have  come  in  my  way 
once  more !  Then  go  the  way  of  martyrdom !  " 

Turning  his  pistol  he  fired  the  bullet  full  into  the 
black-robed  chest,  and  Father  Montigny  fell  dying. 

Paul  stood  still,  unable  to  move.  Every  muscle  in 
him  was  paralyzed  by  this  deed  which  seemed  to  him 
not  murder  alone,  but  sacrilege.  Of  all  the  events  of 
that  terrible  night  this  was  the  worst.  But  a  man 
behind  Paul,  retained  every  faculty,  alive  and  alert. 
Up  rose  Shif'less  Sol,  his  honest  face  ablaze  with 
wrath.  His  rifle  flew  to  his  shoulder,  his  finger 
pressed  the  trigger,  and  the  soul  of  Don  Francisco 
Alvarez,  grandee  of  Spain,  sped  to  judgment  from 
the  darkness  and  obscurity  of  the  North  American 
wilderness. 

"  Come  back,  Paul !  Come  back !  "  cried  Shif'less 
Sol,  seizing  the  youth  by  the  shoulder. 

"But  Father  Montigny  is  dying!"  cried  Paul, 
falling  upon  his  knees  beside  the  priest.  The  tears 
ran  down  his  cheeks  and  fell  upon  the  pale  face  of 
the  dying  man. 

Paul  and  Father  Montigny,  Protestant  and  Catho 
lic,  young  man  and  old,  were  kindred  spirits,  and 
each  had  felt  it  from  the  first.  In  the  soul  of  each 
was  the  same  mysticism,  the  same  imaginative  quality, 

353 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

the  same  spiritual  eye  always  looking  into  the  future. 
It  had  occurred  more  than  once  to  the  priest  that,  if 
he  had  remained  outside  the  cloth,  and  had  lived  as 
other  men  lived,  he  would  have  wished  such  a  son  as 
Paul. 

Now  he  smiled  and  opened  his  eyes  as  he  saw  this 
beloved  youth  of  his  later  days  weeping  over  him,  as 
he  lay  in  the  forest  with  his  death  wound.  The  one 
face  that  he  wished  most  to  see  beside  him,  as  he  drew 
his  last  breath,  was  there. 

"Paul!"  he  said,  "Paul,  my  son!  Do  not 
weep.  It  is  the  fate  —  in  one  form  or  another  —  of 
all  who  travel  in  these  woods  —  on  such  missions  as 
mine.  I  have  long  expected  it  —  and  I  have  often 
wondered  that  it  has  been  delayed  so  long.  I  escape, 
too,  the  torture  —  that  more  than  one  of  my  brethren 
has  suffered." 

He  reached  out  one  hand,  and  put  it  lightly  upon 
Paul's  bare  head.  There  it  lay  and  Paul  felt  it  grow 
cold  upon  him. 

"  Come  away,  Paul,"  said  the  shiftless  one  gently. 
"  The  good  priest  is  dead.  It's  the  livin'  that  need 
our  help." 

Bullets  began  to  whistle  from  the  thickets.  The 
battle  converged  toward  them  again,  and  Paul  knew 
that  he  was  needed  to  help  the  others  hold  the  little 
neck  of  land  so  important  to  all.  A  cannon  shot 
shrieked  over  his  head,  and  then  another.  Once 
more  they  were  the  focus  of  the  combat.  The  forest 
in  front  of  them  sparkled  as  rapidly  as  before  with 
beads  of  flame. 

354 


THE  DEFENSE  OF  THE  FIVE 

Paul  rose  reluctantly  and  turned  away.  The 
priest  lay  on  his  back,  his  face,  pale  and  perfectly 
peaceful,  upturned  to  the  skies.  Alvarez  was  a 
dozen  yards  away,  but  his  figure,  still  forever,  was 
motionless  in  the  shadows.  Paul  did  not  bestow  a 
glance  upon  him,  but  he  gave  Father  Montigny  a 
last  long  look  of  affection  and  sorrow  as  he  turned 
away. 

"  Down,  Paul,  down !  "  cried  Henry,  when  Paul 
and  Shif'less  Sol  reached  the  others.  '  We  saw 
what  happened!  You  cannot  do  anything  for  him 
now!" 

He  dragged  Paul  down,  and  in  an  instant  all  of 
them  turned  their  full  energy  to  the  defense.  The 
attack  upon  them  was  renewed  with  uncommon  fire 
and  fury.  The  Indians  and  desperadoes  wished  to 
pass  that  particular  neck  of  land  in  order  that  they 
might  pour  a  storm  of  bullets  upon  the  crippled  fleet 
and  the  skirmishers  who  were  yet  coming  in;  but 
the  little  band,  headed  by  Henry  Ware,  still  held 
them  back. 

Henry  looked  once  or  twice  toward  the  river  and 
saw  the  boats  hovering  far  out  in  the  stream.  He 
judged  that,  in  the  darkness  and  confusion,  Adam 
Colfax  no  longer  knew  where  the  Kentuckians  lay, 
and  it  was  even  possible  that  he  might  lose  them  en 
tirely;  but  the  fact  did  not  shake  Henry's  resolve. 
It  was  vital  that  they  should  hold  the  neck,  and  he  in 
tended  to  do  it.  He  and  his  comrades,  lying  close 
together,  replied  rapidly  and  with  deadly  aim  to  the 
fire  in  front  of  them,  forming  a  compact  little  body, 

355 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

with  blazing  rifles,  which  the  savage  army  was  not 
yet  able  to  displace. 

The  night  darkened,  there  were  signs  of  rain,  in 
duced  perhaps,  by  so  much  firing;  the  moon  was 
completely  hidden  by  gathering  clouds;  the  river  be 
came  a  black,  flowing  mass  and  the  boats  upon  it 
blurred  with  its  surface,  save  when  they  leaped  into 
the  light  in  the  blaze  of  a  cannon  shot.  The  woods, 
too,  seemed  a  solid,  black  wall,  along  the  front  of 
which  rifle  shots  sparkled  in  clusters. 

"Good  boys!  good  boys!"  exclaimed  Henry  in 
low  tones,  surcharged  with  excitement.  He,  too,  had 
the  mounting  blood  hot  in  his  brain.  All  the  old 
primeval  passion  was  flaming  in  him.  But  the  fire  of 
the  enemy  converged  nearer  and  nearer,  and  the  bul 
lets  sang  a  ceaseless  little  song  in  his  ears  as  they 
passed.  "  Ah !  "  he  exclaimed  as  one  struck  him  in 
the  arm.  But  that  was  all  he  said.  He  went  on 
with  his  loading  and  firing. 

"Are  you  hit,  Henry?"  asked  Shif'less  Sol. 

"  A  scratch !  Nothing  more  I  Look  how  Long 
Jim  fights!" 

Long  Jim  was  almost  flat  upon  his  face,  but  the 
man,  usually  so  mild  and  good  tempered,  was  now 
wholly  possessed  by  the  rage  of  combat.  His  long 
thin  figure  fitted  around  the  sinuosities  of  the  earth, 
and  he  seemed  to  have  a  curious  gliding  motion, 
sliding  forward  slowly  to  meet  the  enemy.  The 
darkness  was  nothing  now  to  his  accustomed  eyes, 
and  he  sent  his  bullets  with  sure  aim  toward  the 
shadowy  forms  in  the  bushes  in  front  of  them. 

356 


THE  DEFENSE  OF  THE  FIVE 

Long  Jim  forgot  everything  now  but  his  rifle  and 
the  enemy  there  in  the  thicket.  He  slid  further  and 
further,  still  drawing  himself  over  the  ground  in 
that  terrible  semblance  of  a  serpent.  Paul,  seeing 
his  face,  was  frightened.  "Jim!  Jim!"  he  cried. 
"  Stop !  "  But  Long  Jim  slid  slowly  on.  Tom 
Ross  said  something,  but  it  was  lost  in  the  whistling 
of  a  cannon  shot  overhead. 

They  saw  Long  Jim  stop  the  next  moment,  and 
Paul  believed  that  he  heard  him  utter  a  little  sigh. 
Long  Jim's  limbs  contracted  and  straightened  out 
again  with  a  jerk.  Then  he  turned  slowly  over  on 
his  side  and  lay  still,  a  moment  or  two,  after  which 
he  began  to  writhe  violently.  At  the  same  time  he 
clapped  his  hand  to  his  head  and  it  came  back  red. 

"  Sol  sometimes  says  I've  a  thick  skull,  an'  'ef  so 
it's  a  good  thing,"  he  muttered  to  himself. 

He  shook  his  head  again  and  again,  as  if  to  clear 
it,  and  crept  back  to  his  friends.  There  he  tore  off 
a  portion  of  his  deerskin  hunting  shirt,  tied  it  tightly 
around  the  wound,  and  went  on  with  his  firing. 

"  Don't  be  too  enthusiastic,  Jim,"  said  Henry. 

"  I  won't,"  replied  Long  Jim,  "  I'm  cured." 

Lower  crouched  the  five,  taking  advantage  of  the 
bushes  and  little  hillocks,  and  sending  a  bullet  every 
time  they  saw  a  flitting  figure  in  the  forest  in  front  of 
them.  Behind  them  they  could  still  hear  the  roar  of 
the  combat  on  the  river.  The  crackle  of  the  rifles 
and  the  muskets  was  steady  in  their  ears,  while  now 
and  then  the  note  of  a  cannon  boomed  above  it,  and  a 
solid  shot,  curving  over  their  heads,  whizzed  into  the 

357 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

thickets.  But  they  paid  little  attention  to  the  main 
battle;  it  was  merely  a  chorus,  a  background,  as  it 
were,  for  their  own  corner  of  the  struggle,  which 
absorbed  all  their  energies. 

Their  fire  was  so  incessant,  it  was  so  well  aimed, 
and  it  stung  the  allied  army  so  severely,  that  an  in 
creasing  force  was  steadily  concentrating  in  front  of 
them.  Nor  did  they  escape  wholly  unhurt.  A  bul 
let  grazed  Henry's  arm  and  another  did  the  same 
for  Shif'less  Sol's  shoulder;  but  neither  paid  any  at 
tention  to  his  wounds,  loading  and  reloading,  facing 
the  enemy  with  undiminished  zeal  and  courage. 

Its  whole  aspect  was  now  a  phantom  battle  to 
them  all.  The  incessant  crash  and  roaring  in  their 
ears,  and  the  smoke  and  vapor  in  their  nostrils, 
heated  their  brains  and  made  everything  look  un 
real.  They  were  but  phantoms  themselves,  and  the 
foes  who  leaped  about  in  the  forest  were  phantoms, 
too.  Darker  and  darker  the  clouds  rolled  up  and  the 
smoke  and  vapors  thickened  in  the  forest,  but 
through  the  blackness  the  lines  of  flame  still  replied 
to  each  other. 

Paul's  excitement  was  so  great  that  he  could  not 
keep  himself  down.  He  was  burning  with  fever, 
but  passion  seemed  to  be  departing  from  him.  He 
thought  that,  if  they  were  all  to  die,  it  was  a  privi 
lege  to  die  together.  He  saw  now  the  deep  cool 
woods,  a  beautiful  lake,  and  an  island  enclosed 
within  it,  like  a  green  gem  in  a  blue  setting.  Paul's 
thoughts,  and  his  vision  with  them,  were  wandering 
into  the  past. 

358 


THE  DEFENSE  OF  THE  FIVE 

44  Steady,  Paul,  steady!"  said  Henry.  But  Paul 
saw  nothing  now.  A  bullet,  singing  merrily,  gave 
him  a  leaden  kiss,  and  he  sank  down  very  gently,  ly 
ing  upon  one  arm,  the  red  fast  dyeing  his  buckskin 
hunting  shirt. 

Henry  gave  a  cry  when  he  saw  Paul  fall,  and  bent 
anxiously  over  his  friend.  The  light  was  faint,  but 
the  bullet  seemed  to  have  gone  entirely  through  the 
youth.  Henry  put  his  ear  to  his  chest,  and  could 
hear  his  heart  still  beating,  though  faintly. 

"Hold  'em  back!"  he  shouted  to  his  friends, 
"  and  I'll  help  Paul !  " 

Shif'less  Sol,  Tom,  and  Long  Jim,  although  over 
whelmed  with  anxiety  for  their  young  comrade, 
steadily  turned  their  faces  toward  the  foe,  and  re 
plied  to  his  fire.  Henry,  while  the  bullets  whistled 
above  his  head,  bent  down  and  cut  away  Paul's  hunt 
ing  shirt.  Yes,  the  bullet  had  gone  entirely  through 
his  body  and  it  was  lucky  for  Paul  that  it  had  done 
so.  No  need  now  of  the  surgeon's  probe.  Henry 
bound  up  the  wound  tightly  and  stopped  the  bleed 
ing  Then  he  undertook  to  lift  the  lad;  but  Paul, 
although  still  unconscious  and  a  dead  weight  in  his 
arms,  groaned  with  pain.  Henry  laid  him  gently 
back  on  the  ground. 

44  Boys,"  he  said,  44  Paul  is  too  weak  to  be  moved, 
and  we've  got  to  hold  this  place  until  help  comes  or 
the  enemy  quits." 

"  I  think  the  last  skirmisher  has  escaped  now," 
said  Shif'less  Sol,  "  but  here  we  stay." 

He  spoke  for  them  all,  and  Henry,  unable  to  do 
359 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

anything  more  for  Paul,  turned  his  attention  anew 
to  the  enemy.  There  was  a  sudden  increase  of  the 
firing  in  front.  The  clouds  and  vapors  rolled  back, 
and  the  dancing  figures  in  the  thickets  took  on  more 
semblance  of  reality.  Suddenly  Henry  uttered  a 
cry.  His  eyes  of  almost  preternatural  keenness 
had  recognized  one  of  the  figures. 

"  What  is  it,  Henry?  "  asked  Shif'less  Sol. 

"  Braxton  Wyatt.  He's  in  the  thicket.  I  saw 
him  a  moment  ago.  I  know  his  face  and  figure  too 
well  to  be  mistaken." 

"  I  saw  him,  too,"  replied  the  shiftless  one.  "  O* 
course  he's  escaped  the  bullets  so  fur.  It's  jest  his 
luck." 

"  I  think  he  knows  we're  here,"  said  Henry,  "  and 
he's  leading  the  attack  on  us.  But  we'll  never  yield 
this  ground  and  Paul  to  such  a  fellow." 

u  No !  "  said  the  others  with  one  voice. 

The  clouds  and  vapors  closed  in  again.  The  dark 
ness  rolled  up  in  wave  after  wave,  and  the  renegade, 
leading  on  outlaw  and  red  man,  pressed  the  attack; 
but  the  four  met  them  with  courage  and  spirit  un 
shaken. 

The  clouds  and  vapors  rolled  over  attack  and  de 
fense,  but  through  the  darkness  fire  answered  fire. 
After  a  while  the  forest  and  the  bayou,  which  had 
witnessed  such  a  desperate  display  of  human  energy, 
sank  into  darkness  and  silence.  The  clouds,  now  in 
the  zenith,  began  to  give  forth  rain,  but  it  was  a  gen 
tle,  beneficent  rain,  and  it  fell  silently  on  the  faces  of 
the  living  and  the  dead  alike. 

360 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  CHOSEN  TASK 

ADAM  COLFAX  had  gone  through  the  battle 
unharmed,  but  that  terrible  night  left  new 
gray  in  his  hair.  He  was  a  religious  man, 
and,  when  the  rifle  fire  died  down  in  the  forest  and 
then  went  out,  he  uttered  a  devout  prayer  of  thank 
fulness.  He  and  his  train,  on  the  whole,  had  come 
through  better  than  he  had  expected.  There  had 
been  moments  in  the  bayou  when  he  thought  no  mor 
tal  strength  or  skill  could  break  the  chain  that  bound 
them.  But  the  savage  army  and  navy  had  been 
beaten  off,  and  the  core  of  his  fleet  was  saved.  He 
could  still  go  on  to  Pittsburgh  with  his  precious  cargo. 

The  trumpet  was  sounded  again,  and  the  boats, 
drawing  together,  began  to  count  their  losses.  It 
was  a  long  sad  count,  but  those  who  survived  were 
elated  over  their  great  victory. 

It  was  then  that  Adam  Colfax  discovered  the  loss 
of  the  five  who  had  helped  him  so  much.  Some  one 
had  seen  them  spring  ashore  to  protect  the  escape  of 
the  skirmishers,  and  he  ordered  the  fleet  at  once 
toward  the  land  to  save  them,  or,  if  too  late,  to  bring 
their  bodies  to  the  boat. 

A  dozen  boats  swung  in  toward  the  bank  and  that 

361 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

of  Adam  Colfax  was  foremost.  He  was  not  con 
scious  of  the  gentle  rain,  save  that  it  felt  cooling  and 
pleasant  on  his  face  after  the  heat  and  smoke  of  the 
battle.  Yet  the  brain  of  the  stern  New  Hampshire 
man  was  still  fevered,  too.  The  battle  had  ceased, 
but  the  roar  of  the  cannon-shots  and  the  crash  of  the 
rifles  yet  echoed  in  his  ears.  The  black  forest 
that  came  down  to  the  water's  edge,  was  full  of  mys 
tery  and  terror,  and  his  was  no  timid  heart.  Smoke 
of  the  battle  drifted  among  the  trees  or  over  the 
river,  and  the  rain  did  not  drive  it  all  away.  In  the 
far  distance  low  thunder  muttered,  and  now  and  then 
flashes  of  heat  lightning  drew  a  belt  of  coppery  red 
along  the  dark  horizon. 

Adam  Colfax,  stern  man  that  he  was,  shuddered. 
But  he  would  not  flinch.  He  was  the  first  to  spring 
ashore.  The  forest  assumed  its  most  somber  aspect. 
The  trees  were  weird  and  ghostly,  and  there  was  no 
sound  at  all  but  the  gentle  drip,  drip  of  the  rain. 
Here  the  vapors  and  mists  seemed  to  be  imprisoned 
by  the  boughs  and  foliage,  and  the  odors  were  heavy 
and  acrid. 

He  had  landed  upon  a  little  neck  of  land,  and  some 
one  remarked:  "It  was  here  that  the  Kentuckians 
landed."  But  there  was  no  sound  in  the  forest  and 
the  scouts  had  reported  already  that  the  enemy  had 
gone  away.  A  great  fear  gripped  at  the  heart  of 
Adam  Colfax.  "  They  are  all  dead,"  he  thought. 

Men  brought  torches,  as  they  no  longer  had  any 
fear  of  sharpshooters;  and  Adam  Colfax,  followed 
by  twenty  others,  entered  the  forest.  The  wind  rose 

362 


THE  CHOSEN  TASK 

slightly  and  whipped  the  rain  in  his  face,  but  he 
stepped  into  the  deepest  shadow,  and,  taking  a  torch 
from  one  of  the  men,  held  it  aloft  with  his  own  hand. 
The  light  fell  upon  a  little  open  space  and,  despite 
himself,  Adam  Colfax  uttered  a  cry. 

A  figure  lay  outstretched  under  the  shelter  of  arch 
ing  boughs  and  bushes,  and  four  more  beside  it  were 
still  and  silent,  leaning  against  a  fallen  log.  There 
was  such  an  absolute  lack  of  motion,  that  Colfax  at 
first  thought  that  the  soul  of  every  one  was  sped. 

"Good  God!    Dead!    All  dead  I"  he  exclaimed. 

But  a  great  figure  quickly  uprose. 

"  No,  "  said  Henry  Ware,  a  fine  smile  passing 
over  his  boyish  face.  '  We  beat  them  off,  and  we're 
just  resting  and  waiting.  Only  Paul  is  seriously  hurt, 
and  so  far  we've  been  afraid  to  move  him." 

Shif'less  Sol,  Jim  Hart,  and  Tom  Ross  rose,  too, 
and  shook  the  raindrops  from  their  clothes. 

"  We  didn't  have  good  shelter  here,"  said  Shif' 
less  Sol,  "  but  I  think  the  rain  and  its  coolness  have 
helped  Paul." 

Adam  Colfax  bent  over  the  boy  and,  in  the  dawn 
ing  light,  made  a  critical  examination. 

"  He  will  live,"  he  said.  "  We'd  have  come  to 
your  relief  long  ago,  had  we  known  you  were  here." 

"  It  was  Braxton  Wyatt  who  led  the  last  attack 
against  us,"  said  Henry,  "  and  as  usual,  he  has  had 
the  good  luck  to  escape.  At  least,  we  can't  find  his 
body  here,  and  I  haven't  the  slightest  doubt  that  he's 
living  to  do  more  mischief  and  that  we'll  meet  him 


again." 


363 


THE  FREE  RANGERS 

It  was  true,  and  a  diligent  search  revealed  no  trace 
of  Wyatt.  He  had  escaped,  fleeing  North  after  the 
battle,  to  rejoin  his  old  friends,  the  Shawnees  and 
Miamis. 

Paul  was  lifted  gently,  after  receiving  treatment 
from  the  surgeon  of  the  fleet,  and  carried  to  a  boat, 
where  he  regained  consciousness.  His  wound  was 
severe,  but  his  blood  was  so  healthy  that  he  would 
recover,  according  to  the  surgeon,  with  great  rapidity. 

When  all  five  were  together,  Adam  Colfax  said  to 
them  collectively: 

"  You  did  the  most  of  all  to  save  the  fleet." 

That  was  enough  reward  for  them. 

The  body  of  Father  Montigny  was  buried  in  the 
forest,  and  a  little  wooden  cross  was  put  at  his  head. 
Christian  burial  was  given  to  the  body  of  Alvarez, 
too,  and  the  supply  fleet  prepared  for  a  new  start. 


The  fleet,  two  weeks  later,  was  leaking  its  slow 
progress  northward  on  the  Mississippi.  The  great 
river  was  in  an  uncommonly  friendly  mood.  Its  usual 
yellow  seemed  silver  in  the  brilliant  morning  light. 
Heavy  masses  of  green  fringed  either  low  shore,  and 
keen  pleasant  odors  came  from  the  wilderness. 

Oliver  Pollock,  hearing  of  the  battle  of  the  bayou, 
had  sent  a  second  detachment  from  New  Orleans  to 
replace  the  men  and  boats  lost  and  the  ammunition 
shot  away  by  the  first,  and  now,  stronger  than  ever, 
it  continued  under  the  brave  and  skillful  leadership  of 
Adam  Colfax,  on  its  great  mission. 

364 


THE  CHOSEN  TASK 

The  five  sat  in  the  end  of  one  of  the  largest  boats, 
under  the  shade  of  a  sail.  Paul's  strength  was  fast 
coming  back;  he  would  not  suffer  the  slightest  harm, 
and  they  were  happy. 

"  This  is  jest  the  life  fur  a  lazy  man  like  me," 
said  Shif'less  Sol.  "  Nothin'  to  do  but  go  on  an'  on, 
with  people  to  wait  on  you,  an'  say  you  hev  already 
done  your  part." 

"  We  have  had  a  wonderful  escape,"  said  Paul. 

The  face  of  the  shiftless  one  became  grave,  even 
reverent. 

"  So  we  hev,  Paul,"  he  said.  "  Seems  to  me  some 
times  that  we  wuz  spared  fur  a  purpose.  We 
wouldn't  hev  come  alive,  every  one  of  us,  through 
all  that,  ef  it  hadn't  been  intended  that  we  should 
go  on  with  the  work  that  we  are  doin',  helpin'  and 
defendin'  our  people  the  best  we  kin.  I  think  we've 
been  chose." 

"  I  think  so,  too,"  said  Paul,  "  and  here  and  now 
we  should  devote  ourselves  to  it,  as  long  as  it  is 
needed.  I  want  to  do  so.  Are  the  rest  of  you  will- 
ing?" 

"  I  am,"  said  Henry  with  emphasis. 

"  And  I !  "  said  the  shiftless  one. 

"  And  1 1  "  said  Tom  Ross. 

"  And  I !  "  said  Long  Jim. 

"  Amen !  "  said  Paul. 


THE  END 


(24) 


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